Description
This is Malta Fire Brigade in action at Floriana fire station in the 1960s.
The brigade was set up in 1934 as a department within the police force.
Fire officers had their own uniforms and were specially trained in how to tackle fierce blazes.
Before then, the responsibility for fighting fires in Malta was in the hands of the British Army, RAF and Royal Navy.
The first fire engines were water pumps fitted on steam-powered vehicles.
Over time, fire hydrants, water buckets and fire extinguishers were gradually introduced in many village squares, usually outside police stations.
The main fire station was at Notre Dame Ditch in Floriana, with the Admirality Constabulary Fire Brigade based at Kordin near the dockyards.
The Malta Fire Brigade was eventually transferred to the Civil Protection Department which took over as Malta’s emergency fire and rescue service in January 2000.
The Department’s main control room is at Ta’ Kandja near Siggiewi, with fire stations in Gozo, Xemxija, Hal Far, Kordin and Floriana, as well as a marine section based in Marsa.
Were you a member of the fire brigade? We would love to hear your stories.
