Bolton Central Community Fire Station turns 50

Bolton Central Community Fire Station has marked 50 years of serving the local community this month.

The fire station, on Moor Lane, first opened its doors on 23 April 1971 and the crews based there have experienced their fair share of incidents.

Due to the current Covid-19 situation, celebration events have been put on hold, but it’s hoped the station can host an open day, when Covid-19 restrictions allow, so colleagues and friends who have worked for the station over the last 50 years can celebrate this milestone.

Structurally, the station has not changed much over the years, but there have been quite a few changes in the structure of the watches and upgrades to fire engines and equipment. For example, the station has a high-volume pump that can pump up to 7000 litres of water up to 3km. The equipment is used regularly in the Service and on national deployments.

Bolton Central Community Fire Station Manager, Andy Hardman said: “I started as a firefighter here in 1992, and have had an absolutely fantastic career that has flashed past in the blink of an eye.

“People often asked what’s the biggest fire I’ve been on - it’s a difficult question to answer! I would say the moorland fires in summer 2018 is one of the memorable incidents as I have been there day after day for weeks. Another significant incident would be The Cube fire in November 2019.

“My greatest achievement initially was joining the Service and being posted to my hometown, and recently has changed to taking up the Station Manager role in Bolton Central. I am proud to be in the fire service.”

Article Published: 28/04/2021 16:43 PM