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1895-1915: Superintendent William Frost |
Following Superintendent Pound's retirement Mr. William Frost was appointed Superintendent in Charge of the Brigade, after service in Brigades in Leicester, Northampton and Lancashire. Mr. Frost in the first year of appointment introduced one innovation. This was the provision of a swinging snap harness for the horses and the training of the latter to answer a call of their own accord.
Sheffield and Rotherham Independent Newspaper - Friday 8th May 1896 The Narrow Escape of Two Children But for the prompt action of Sgt Roberts and PC Pattaway of the Sheffield Fire Brigade, 2 children may have been suffocated, or burned to death yesterday morning, in Trippet Lane. The officers who do ordinary police duty, were walking along West Street soon after 7 o’clock when they noticed a smell of fire coming from the direction of Trippet Lane. This was traced to No. 76, which was a fried fish shop kept by Charles Thwarts. Mr and Mrs Thwarts were out and the house was in the charge of a young domestic servant named Daykin. The bedroom in which a little boy was asleep was on fire, and when the officers got upstairs the smoke was so dense and overpowering that they were compelled to crawl in. The boy was found to be tied in his cot owing to some mental affliction and he was only just rescued in the nick of time. An infant was then rescued from another bedroom to which the fire and smoke had spread into. Note: In the mid 1980’s a medal was bought from a dealer by a member of the Sheffield Fire Museum which was originally awarded to Sgt Roberts. Story courtesty of Ken Mettam |
 The Chief Officer standing by a steam driven fire pump Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
Mr. Frost, in his first report, said that he did not feel the equipment of the Brigade would be complete until he had alarm boxes fixed at various points in the suburbs of the City. He also said that much time would he saved in receiving a call "if the larger works and shops had a wire and electric bell direct to the Station". In 1896 various items of equipment were purchased and a 45 ft. fire escape was stationed at Moorhead instead of at the Fire Station. On November 9th 1896, a ladder of flexible steel was tested as a fire escape. It is not known if it passed its test or not but here were the beginnings of awareness of alternative ways of escape in case of fire. In his report for 1899 Superintendent Frost reiterated his recommendations about the alarm boxes in the suburbs of the City. |
In 1903 a new Fire Escape was purchased. The telescopic ladders were extended by an engine fixed at the end and at the side of the main ladder, power being provided by carbonic acid gas which was stored in four cylinders ready for use. This escape was a fore-runner of the modern Turntable Ladder, and had many interesting automatic devices attached to it. One of them was an arrangement for throwing the engine out of gear when the ladders were fully extended, the gas escaping from the safety valve fixed on the feed pipe. An indicator was provided on the foot of the ladders showing the height to which it was raised and there was an oil brake for lowering the ladders. A plumbing gear was also incorporated to enable the ladders to be maintained in a perpendicular position irrespective of the position of the carriage. This escape having an engine and two extending ladders was the first of its kind in the Country.
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| Horse drawn 75ft turntable escape, made hr "BRAUN" of Germany. was brought into service in 1903, and motorised in 1925. It continued in service until 1928. Photographs from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
The ladders were extended by carbon dioxide gas and the fireman can be seen opening the control valve on one of the gas cylinders. |
In 1900 the new Fire Station on West Bar was opened. The new building also provided for the Police a Charge Office. Search Room, Telephone Room, Inspector's Office and four cells. The engine house was built on three levels because of the gradient. This building was an improvement on the Chief Station at Rockingham Street. When a fire call was received at Rockingham Street. the horses being stabled opposite the engine house had to trot across the yard and turn round before being harnessed. At West Bar this turning by horses was done away with. Note the Look Out Room at the top of the main tower. The building still stands today and is the home of the Fire and Police Museum. |
 Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
 A post card from this period showing West Bar Fire Station Photograph courtesy of John Hague |
Accommodation was for three engines, and behind each engine were two stalls with horses continually ready although a change of horses took place periodically. Upon a fire call being received a cord was pulled opening the street and the stable doors. The horses then ran along each side of the machine and into position for the harness. This was suspended from the ceiling to enable it to be lowered onto the horses. There were no straps or buckles and firemen locked the snap collars into position. At the rear of the Station was stabling for twelve horses.
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Swinging snap harness for horses: Introduced by Superintendent Frost. Horses can be seen in stalls at rear of fire engine ready to move into position where alarm hells sounded. The picture shows the harnesses installed in the new West Bar Fire and Police Station. Immediately the alarm bells were sounded the horses standing ready in their stalls went and took their places in front of the appliances and one action sufficed to bring the harness into place and fasten it. This enabled the Brigade to turn out very quickly. This method of harnessing horses was first used by Firemaster Arthur Portage of Edinburgh Fire Brigade in 1903. |
 Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
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The photograph on the left shows the Watch Room at West, Bar 1900. The two men are firemen wearing the sailor uniform of the period. This was worn when working on the station and at drill.
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 Photograph courtesy of Ted Mullins - The Inspector standing behind Superintendent Frost is believed to be Archie Cornish |
A Horse drawn fire engine. at the rear can be seen the pump. Steam to operate the pump was supplied by the boiler.
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| Soon the Sheffield Brigade would purchase its first first motorised fire engine, and Superintendent Frost stated that he hoped the time was not too far distant when horses would he dispensed with entirely, although he felt that with the passing of the horses, the Firemen would have parted with good and faithful friends. |  Sheffield Police Fire Brigade at the Gallop: Photgraph courtesy of Ted Mullins |
In 1907 the first motor escape was purchased and was an unqualified success, Forty-four fires were attended by this appliance and the Superintendent in his Annual Report stated that its superiority over horses was very marked. The steep gradients were easily negotiated and the scene of the fire was reached in half the time taken by the horses. The engine was started up every few hours both day and night to facilitate turning-out. The appliance lights powered by using acetylene gas which was carried already generated by means of dripping water into calcium carbide and by means of a sparking plug in each lamp the lights on the appliance were lit by turning a switch.
 Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
| In 1907 First motor fire engine purchased, registration No. W.1000. The other appliances shown were still horse drawn. |
In 1908 the number of men was increased from 27 to 40. This was brought about by Firemen commencing duty at theatres and a sum of 30/- per week was charged to the theatre proprietors. In 1909 the Superintendent was able to report that the motor escape had done more work than all the other appliances put together; that the loss of life and property had thus, by motor traction, been reduced to a minimum; and that if the record was to be maintained it was necessary that another motor driven appliance be purchased. He said he was very loath to revert to the use of horses
In 1910 the fleet was expanded when a new Motor Fire engine was in fact purchased and placed in commission in December. It had a six-cylinder petrol engine and according to the R.A.C. formula was of 72 horse power. It had a centrifugal pump capable of delivering 450 gallons of water per minute and carried a 36 ft. extending ladder. Also in this year a new apparatus was purchased enabling firemen to enter buildings Filled with smoke. It consisted of an oxygen cylinder charged to a pressure of 120 atmospheres. The oxygen was supplied to the fireman's helmet. The exhaled breath was to some extent purified by contact with a regenerator which contained layers of caustic potash. This apparatus proved very useful on the occasion of a cellar fire, when the firemen were able extinguish a very difficult outbreak by its aid.
 Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
One of the fire engines purchased in 1911 to bring the fleet up to 4 motorised vehicles. |
| 1911 The Brigade fleet - Four motorised vehicles were now in service. |  Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
Two further motor chassis were purchased in 1911, and these were fitted with bodies by members of the Brigade. During the year one horse had died and two had been sold to the Cleansing Department. The remaining four were still in good condition, evidence of the care taken by the Firemen in charge of them. About this time a number of fires were occurring in the Cinemas of the City, mainly through the film being jammed in the gate of the projector.
 Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
Horse drawn Ambulance 1912, driver and attendant were both firemen |
| The horse "Gertie" which served with Sheffield Fire Brigade from 1912 to 1922 and was then sold to the Mounted Police. |  Photograph from: Sheffield Fire Brigade - A Brief History |
In 1913 whilst returning with a Steam Fire Engine, From a fire, the chestnut horse "Buller" dropped dead in Waingate. This horse was a handsome animal with a silver mane and tail and was a familiar sight in the City. It was believed that the cause of death was through the bursting of a blood vessel.
In 1914 the property adjoining the Fire Station in Rockingham Street was purchased with a view to future extensions and four of the houses were put into good habitable condition and accommodated Firemen. On the outbreak of war in 1914, eight men were recalled to the colours.
Shortly afterwards in 1915 Superintendent William Frost retired.