Introduction.
The Mobile Emergency Fire & Rescue Service (MEFRS, or sometime MEF&RS) had its origins in a report written for the MoD by two Ministers Without Portfolio (one was an ex-NATO Secretary General) that recommenced the reintroduction of National Service (aka conscription) in the UK. Losses amongst regular and reserve personnel were unsustainable if the Third World War lasted longer than a few weeks and, the authors argued, in the post-war world it was likely that the UK would have additional commitments, as it had after the last two world wars. British citizens and citizens of allied countries resident in the UK between 18 and 24 would be called up by lottery. The powers in the National Service Act 2005 were also used to call-up certain individuals outside the 18-24 age group if they had useful skills and experience.
The modern MEFRS was inspired by the Mobile Defence Corps, a military manned Civil Defence organisation that existed between 1955 and 1959. The authors of the report had recognised that the Armed Forces training system would only be able to handle a certain number of conscripts; they recommended 10,000 (two third male and one third female) as a starting point; and that a modern MDC would not only strengthen Civil Protection resources, it would be a good way to make use of conscripts who the military would not have the resources to train. [1] Training personnel for the the MEFRS would partially fall on the army and RAF, who would put them through basic training, minus weapons training. Advanced training would initially be carried out by the fire service, Defence Fire & Rescue Service and National Emergency Volunteers. These organisations would train the initial cadre of specialists and instructors, who would train the bulk of the MEFRS. While these specialists and instructors were being trained, the bulk of the rank and file assigned to the MEFRS would be assigned to improve the Civil Protection measures within their local communities. For example, they would be used to construct air raid shelters, a task that would not only benefit the civilian population, but would also help to 'harden' the conscripts.
Equipping the service.
It was obvious that in order to do the jobs that it would be asked to do, the MEFRS would need equipment. It was lucky, then, that when the Civil Defence Corps, Auxiliary Fire Service and associated organisations had been disbanded in 1968, that its equipment had been mothballed. A review of what equipment had been placed in store revealed that the following had been available in 1993:
- Emergency Pumps ('Green Goddesses'): 1,079
- Trailer Pumps: 109
- Land Rovers/Austin Gipsys: 142
- GP Lorries (Bedford & Commer): 369
- Bikini Units (Transportable Water Units): 106
- Control Units: 50
- Deliver Hose 2 3/4” (lengths of 75'): 400,000
- Canvas Hose 6” (lengths of 75'): 38,000
- Canvas Hose 6“ (lengths of 16'): 900
- Dams, Inflatable, 2,500 gal: 771
- Dams, Inflatable, 5,500 gal: 407
- Tanks, glass fibre, 6,400 gal: 831
- Dams, Circular, Steel, 20,000 gal: 666
- Lightweight Portable Pumps: 2,321
- Petrol Cans: 15,000
- Light Alloy Piping 6” (lengths of 16'): 17,500
- Polythene Piping 6” (lengths of 16'): 70,000 [2]
The Austin Gipsys were sold off in the early 1990s, along with the Commer General Purpose Lorries and Control Units. Regrettably many of the Bikini Units were also sold off at that time. Interestingly, as the British Army introduced the Land Rover Wolf, it passed on older Ninety and One Ten models to the Home Office stockpile, along with some even older Series III based vehicles. The army would also donate Bedford MK/MJ lorries to replace the disposed of Commers, as the MK/MJ was itself replaced in military service by Leyland and Leyland DAF 4-tonne lorries.
On review in 2005, it was noted that the totals of Land Rovers, GP Lorries was similar to the figure from 1993. As were the figures for the other equipment. However, around half of the 'Green Goddess' Emergency Pumps had been issued to fire brigades, or were otherwise in use. A review was ordered to see if those EPs issued were still needed by their users, and if not, they would be returned for issue to the MEFRS. It was noted that one advantage of the majority of the vehicles and equipment being from the 1950s, was that it was robust and simple to maintain. There were no computer chips, Electronic Control Units, or sophisticated electrics that required specialist knowledge. Training mechanics would take a great deal less time. On the other hand, there was a downside that spare parts would potentially be at a premium. So, it was decide that in the medium to longer-term more modern vehicles would be procured. A priority was also given to the procurement of vehicles and equipment for Urban Search and Rescue. Something that was lacking amongst the vehicles and equipment that had been mothballed. Some of the MK/MJ lorries would be modified to replace the Commers that had carried the Bikini Units that had not been sold off. To partially replace the disposed of Bikini Units, additional High Volume Pumps and prime movers were procured. With the intention that every fire fire-fighting battalion of the MEFRS would have at least one HVP. [3]
The 'Green Goddess' and 'Red Goddess'.
The RLHZ Self Propelled Pump, known colloquially as the 'Green Goddess' was probably the most familiar of the vehicles used for civil protection duties in the UK. Procured in the 1950s for the Auxiliary Fire Service, it was used by the miliary during firefighters strikes in 1977 and 2002. Moreover, until fire services started to use High Volume Pumps, they would also appear during serious flooding.
While the 'Green Goddess' was capable of functioning as a fire engine, it had been designed with the primary purpose of pumping water. Potentially in relay system of pumps of up to 20 miles. By the standard of 2005, the Green Goddess was a basic machine, though it did have some advantages over more modern fire engines, including being a 4x4 and it carried more water than many modern fire engines. [4] However, by 2005 the vehicle was looking very long in the tooth, and a decision had been taken to start disposing of the fleet and replace them with a smaller number of more modern fire engines made available by fire brigades before they were sold out of service. Some of these vehicles had been used during the 2002 strike, being nicknamed 'Red Goddesses'. [5] However, it would take time to build up a stock of more modern fire engines for civil protection purposes, especially since it would have to compete with the stock of reserve fire appliances that was being built for issue to fire brigades in war, or other serious emergency. Two solutions to the issue were found:
'Green Goddess 2.0' – the nickname which was given to 'Green Goddesses' that were put through an extensive refurbishment programme. TNT Truckcare, who had responsibility for the maintenance of the fleet, had first proposed a major refurbishment in 1998, the government donating a single 'Green Goddess', registration RXP 884, to act as a prototype. The prototype was equipped with a modern Cummins B series diesel engine and a ZF five-speed gearbox, an in-cab heater, a modernised emergency lights and siren system including an experimental directional siren, electrically heated mirrors, roller shutter equipment bay doors, a vacuum break, and a new lighter green livery with 'Emergency Fire Service' lettering. The prototype proved to be successful, with the government ordering that nineteen additional 'Green Goddesses' be refurbished for further trials. An order for eighty further vehicles followed in 2002 and fifty more in 2003. Some of the refurbished 'Green Goddesses' were deployed during the 2002 fire strike, where they proved successful. [6]
Two more orders for fifty vehicle refurbishments were made in 2003 and 2004. The vehicles being delivered throughout late 2003 until late 2004. During the Polish Crisis, the Cabinet Office place a contract with TNT Truckcare to refurbish the remainder of the fleet. However, events overtook that programme and on the outbreak of war, or the approximate 1,079 Emergency Pumps held in stock, no more than two hundred and fifty to two hundred and sixty 'Green Goddesses' had undergone refurbishment. Leaving around 820 non-refurbished Emergency Pumps. Unsurprisingly, when it came to issuing EP to fire brigades, priority was given to refurbished examples. That meant none were available in May 2005 to issue to the MEFRS, bar a handful held at the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh and the Scottish Fire Service College at Gullane.
Standard Fire Appliance – As part of building up a reserve of fire appliances in 2003, the Cabinet Office ordered five hundred of what it designated 'Standard Fire Appliances'. These were ordered from a number of manufactures including Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Dennis and AMDAC Carmichael, and would be based on a similar chassis. These fire engines could be configured as a water tender ladder rescue (WrL/R) or a water tender ladder/emergency tender (WrL/ET) as needed. Some were also built as rescue water tender ladder (R/WrL) and fire and rescue tenders (FRT). Some other specialist vehicles, such as Aerial Ladder Platforms (ALP), Command Units (CU), Foam Carriers (FoC) were also included in addition to the Standard Fire Appliances. [7]
By the outbreak of war, just over two hundred Standard Fire Appliances had been added to the Fire Appliance Reserve. During the Polish Crisis, the Cabinet Office had ordered a further two hundred appliances, plus some specialist vehicles. Moreover, during the Transition to War, open ended contracts were awarded to manufacture as many vehicles as possible (the TL:DR version of the contracts were build new vehicles until we tell you to stop). Most SFA would be issued to regular brigades, but as more vehicles were delivered they would become available to the MEFRS. The new SFA would also free up 'Green Goddesses' (both refurbished and non-refurbished) for service with the MEFRS. The SFA would fairly soon be nicknamed 'Red Goddesses', being lumped in with the other reserve fire appliances that had also been given that nickname.
The firefighting part of MEFRS would, as with the 1950s MDC, be administered by the Royal Air Force. Some regular and regular reservist RAF personnel who were firefighters, along with some personnel from the civilian Defence Fire and Rescue Service would be attached to the service. These professional firefighters would form an experienced core within MEFRS.
Urban Search and Rescue.
As befitting the 'Rescue' part of its title, MEFRS would need to be equipped for, and its personnel trained for USAR. The service would be equipped and trained to a similar standard to the National Emergency Volunteers and the fire service. As USAR has been discussed elsewhere, it is not intended to repeat it in great detail here. [8] While orders were made for additional vehicles and equipment, USAR in the MEFRS would start with picks, shovels, pinch-bars, saws and other hand tools. In some ways that was no bad thing, as being trained to work by hand was a vital skill in USAR. Moreover, to gain experience, some newly trained MEFRS personnel would be attached to NEV and fire service rescue units. On return to their units, they would pass their experience on to other personnel.
The army would administer the rescue part of MEFRS, with some experts from civilian USAR organisations, including the NEV, seconded to provide experience.
'Well, we've rescued them, now what?' The Ambulance Section.
Rescuing people from fires and collapsed buildings was only part of the story. Before transport to Forward Aid Units hospitals, or hospitals, it would be necessary to provide life-saving treatment at the scene, or very near to it. This was partially solved by making sure that all personnel in MEFRS had advanced first aid training. Something that would come in handy during training, when the inevitable injuries occurred. In the longer-term those assigned to the Ambulance Section would be trained either as Ambulance technicians/Emergency Medical Technicians, or as Paramedics. The latter would be trained to the same standard as civilian USAR and HART Paramedics. A proportion would be trained to Advanced paramedic standard. RAF Medical Services and Army Medical Services (RAMC, RDC & QARANC) personnel were attached to the Ambulance Section, along with some NHS Ambulance Service personnel, to provide a core of experience. The Ambulance Section would be jointly administered by the RAF and Army, with personnel coming from both services.
Vehicle wise, the Ambulance Section would use a variety of vehicles, including military Land Rover and Pinzgauer Vector ambulances, vehicles similar to those used by NHS Hazardous Area Response Teams/Special Operations Response Teams (HART/SORT), and civilian style ambulances. The section would also eventually have some Hagglunds Bv.206 configured as ambulances. In the short-term the section would be very short of suitable vehicles, and would employ whatever was available. That would include some ambulances disposed of for auction by the MoD and NHS.
MEFRS Organisation.
In the medium to to longer-term it was planned to form 36 to 48 battalions, a mix of fire-fighting and rescue battalions. The model being the old Mobile Defence Corps. Each battalion would be formed of four companies, the fourth being an ambulance company. The fire-fighting battalions would be organised as follows:
- H.Q Company
-- High Volume Pump Platoon.
- A ('Red Goddess') Company: formed of fully trained firefighters.
- B ('Green Goddess') Company: formed of personnel with basic fire-fighting skills (no Breathing Apparatus capability, for example).
- C ('Green Goddess') Company: As B Company.
- D (Ambulance) Company
Rescue battalions would be formed as follows:
- H.Q Company
- A (USAR) Company: Organised and equipped similarly to NEV/fire service USAR units
- B (USAR) Company: As above.
- C (Heavy Rescue) Company: Organised and equipped similarly to NEV Heavy Rescue Units.
- D (Ambulance) Company: Included Mass Decontamination Units (MDU).
Note: Some Rescue battalions, including those which would be based in London, Birmingham and Glasgow, would have an additional USAR company, with the Ambulance company becoming E Company.
However, it would take time to establish these battalions, so in the short to medium-term, seven Mobile Fire and Rescue Columns, inspired by the Mobile Fire Column concept of the 1950s (one for each Military District, except for London, which would have two) would be formed. These columns would be organised as follows:
Mobile Fire and Rescue Column
- H.Q Company
-- Recce Platoon: Command Car, Recce Car, Motorcycles
-- Command Platoon: Control Unit
-- Support Platoon: HVP, Hose layer, Personnel Carriers etc.
-- Feeding Platoon
-- Supply & Transport Platoon
- Red Company: as 'Red' companies of fire-fighting battalions.
- White Company: as 'Green' companies of fire-fighting battalions.
- Blue Company: as above.
- Green Company: USAR
-- Heavy Rescue Platoon
-- Ambulance Platoon
- Black Company: as above.
The mobile columns would be able to respond to any major incident within their district (or beyond, if necessary) either as a whole unit, or as a smaller unit, based on what was required.
MEFRS in action.
The personnel of the MEFRS were in action very soon after the formation of the service. Even before training was complete and the mobile columns formed, small MEFRS teams, usually attached to the existing emergency services and National Emergency Volunteers were responding to incidents. While initially mainly formed of recently trained and inexperienced people, these teams responded well to the challenges they faced. Moreover, while in the beginning specialist equipment was lacking, at worst the MEFRS added much needed additional manpower at incidents. They also, in the early days, provided a highly useful service improving civil protection provision in the communities in which they were based. Buildings and other sites that had previously been identified as potential shelters were strengthened and fitted out by MEFRS teams. Air raid shelters were also dug in open spaces, such as public parks and playing fields, where these had been requested. Many of these shelters would be modern version of the Anderson Shelter from the Second World War. The MEFRS would also, for a nominal fee, assign small teams to assist householders and groups of householders (e.g. from a single street) build their own shelters. As well as improving civil protection provision, the process also had other benefits: it improved physical fitness of the conscripts assigned to the service, it gave them knowledge of the soils they were likely to work in, and importantly, allowed them to get to know their local 'patch'. MEFRS leaders would also get the chance to make contact and form working relationships with the emergency services and other civil protection personnel that they would be working alongside.
Spoiler!
Conclusion.
The Mobile Emergency Fire and Rescue Service, while hurriedly formed in the middle of a war and equipped with often old, semi-obsolete and cast off equipment, was a success story. It took conscripts who the existing training system of the Armed Forces would not have been able to deal with, and made very good use of them. The MEFRS would also be a destination for many conscripts who declared themselves to be 'conscientious objectors'. When those declaring themselves to be such were given the option of joining the MEFRS by tribunals, most would take it. Only a small hard-core would refuse to take up any sort of work that they believed was supporting the 'war effort'. The conscription tribunals did try to be as fair as possible, offering objectors a number of alternative forms of service. However, that is a story for another day. While RAF conscripts would administered by the RAF Fire & Rescue Service, British Army conscripts would be, for administrative purposes, be part of the General Service Corps.
The MEFRS would also make good use of the large numbers of vehicles and equipment that had been in store and well-maintained since the 1960s. Without the service, most of these vehicles and the associated equipment, would have effectively gone to waste. The formation of the MEFRS would also stimulate the procurement of new vehicles and equipment that would eventually replace what had been held in storage. When, sadly, the MEFRS would be placed in 'suspended animation' after the end of National Service, the new stuff would be placed in storage for a future emergency. One lesson that was learned, was that it was a good idea to periodically replace equipment and vehicles held in storage, so that never again would it be necessary to issue vehicles that were over fifty years old.
What would happen to the old vehicles, such as the 'Green Goddess', Bedford RL, Land Rovers etc.? While some would be donated to museums in the UK, or bought by private individuals and groups, the majority would be donated to countries in the developing world after refurbishment. Their rugged nature and ease of maintenance would be a boon in countries like Nigeria.
Back in the UK, while the MEFRS was placed in 'suspended animation', it was not officially disbanded. Small numbers of personnel from the army and RAF would continue to train and plan for the possibility that it might be necessary to reform it in a hurry. A skeleton training staff, mainly made up of reservists was maintained and vehicles regularly brought out of storage for training and occasionally operational purposes. For example, one Standard Fire Appliance and a small team of RAF Firefighters who happened to be training with the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service attended the fire at the Glasgow School of Art in May 2014. Some RAF and British Army personnel attached to the London Fire Brigade and National Emergency Volunteers respectively were also present at the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. It was also not unusual to find service personnel seconded to the fire service, ambulance service and NEV for short periods to maintain experience. These personnel would attend routine incidents alongside their colleagues from the organisations they were attached to.
As of 2026, the Mobile Emergency Fire and Rescue Service remains on the army list (although it is a joint organisation), junior to the Army Reserve on the Order of Precedence, but senior to the regiments of Overseas Territories. That does mean, in theory, if the personnel were to ever be available, the MEFRS could return to duty.
Appendices.
Appendix 1 – Battalions of the Mobile Defence Corps.
As the Mobile Defence Corps was the model for the Mobile Emergency Fire & Rescue Service, the battalions of that previous organisation are listed below. The list may be incomplete.
- 1st (Cinque Ports) Battalion in Shorncliffe recruiting from East Kent, raised in 1955
- 2nd (London) Battalion in London recruiting from South East London and West Kent
Detachments in Sidcup, Streatham, and Grove Park
- 3rd (Sussex and Surrey) Battalion, recruiting from Sussex and Surrey outside Metropolis, fire-fighting battalion converted to rescue and ambulance in May 1956, and re-organised in March 1957 as No.3 Battalion
-- A Company in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea
-- B Company in Crawley and East Grinstead
-- C Company in Worthing and Horsham
-- Ambulance Company in Chichester and Arundel
- 4th (Middlesex) Battalion, recruiting from North London and Middlesex, fire-fighting battalion converted in May 1956 to rescue and ambulance
- 5th (Essex) Battalion, recruiting from Essex and East London, formed in July 1955
- 6th (Middlesex) Battalion in Harrow recruiting from North West London and Middlesex
- 7th (Middlesex) Battalion recruiting from West London and Middlesex
- 8th (Hertfordshire) Battalion in Potters Bar recruiting from Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire, re-designated as 8th (Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire) Btn in October 1957
- 9th (Hampshire) Battalion in Bournemouth recruiting from Hampshire and Dorset, re-designated as 9th (Hampshire and Dorset) Btn in late 1957
- 10th (Wiltshire) Battalion recruiting from Wiltshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, fire-fighting battalion converted in May 1956 to rescue and ambulance
- 11th (Gloucestershire) Battalion in Bristol recruiting from Gloucestershire and Somerset, re-designated as 11th (Gloucestershire and Somerset) Btn in December 1956
Companies in Taunton and Cheltenham
- 12th (East Lancashire) Battalion recruiting from Lancashire
- 13th (Cheshire) Battalion recruiting from Cheshire, Flintshire, and Denbighshire, fire-fighting battalion converted to rescue and ambulance in May 1956
- 14th (Staffordshire) Battalion recruiting in Staffordshire and Shropshire
- 15th (Warwickshire) Battalion in Birmingham recruiting from Warwickshire and Worcestershire
- 16th (Glamorgan) Battalion recruiting from Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire
- 17th (Tyne and Wear) Battalion in Sunderland recruiting from Northumberland and County Durham
-- A Company at Stockton
-- B Company at Spennymoor
-- C Company at Sunderland
-- D (Ambulance) Company in unknown
- 18th (West Riding) Battalion recruiting from North West Yorkshire including York
Rescue companies in Leeds, Huddersfield, and York
-- Ambulance Company in Bradford & district
- 19th (West Riding) Battalion recruiting from South West Riding of Yorkshire, fire-fighting battalion converted in May 1956 to rescue and ambulance
- 20th (North and East Riding) Battalion recruiting from East Riding of Yorkshire and North Riding of Yorkshire
- 21st (North Midland) Battalion recruiting from Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire
- 22nd (Lincolnshire) Battalion recruiting from Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire
- 23rd (Scottish) Battalion recruiting from Glasgow and Lanarkshire, re-designated 23rd (Clydesdale) Battalion in October 1957
- 24th (Scottish) Battalion recruiting from Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, and Renfrewshire
- 25th (Scottish) Battalion recruiting from Edinburgh, East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian, and West of Scotland
- 26th Battalion recruiting from Devon and Cornwall
- 27th (West Lancashire) Battalion recruiting from West Lancashire
- 28th (East Lancashire) Battalion recruiting from East Lancashire
- 29th (Northamptonshire and Leicestershire) Battalion
- 30th (London) Battalion, re-designated as 30th (City of London) Battalion in November 1957
- 31st (Surrey) Battalion recruiting form Surrey
- 32nd (Worcestershire) Battalion in Droitwich recruiting from Worcestershire
- 33rd (Northumberland) Battalion in Gosforth
Appendix 2: Sample TOEs.
Column and Fire-Fighting Battalion H.Q Company
- Recce Platoon: 1x Command Car, 2x Recce Car, 6x motorcycles
- Command Platoon: 1x Command Car, 1x Control Unit, 2x motorcycles
- High Volume Pump Platoon
- REME LAD.
Red Fire-fighting Company
- Company H.Q
- Command Platoon: 1x Command Car, 2x motorcycles
- 3x Firefighting Platoons: 1x Command Car, 1x Recce Car, 2x motorcycles, 3x Standard Fire Appliances, 1x hose layer, 1x GP lorry, 1x hose carrier.
Note: Some companies had specialist vehicles, such as Aerial Ladder Platforms.
Green Fire-fighting Company
As above, however equipped with either standard, or refurbished 'Green Goddess' Emergency Pumps.
Note: The Command and Recce Cars were generally Land Rover variants. The above TOE were similar whether they were part of mobile column, or firefighting battalions.
Urban Search and Rescue Company
As per the TOE of a National Emergency Volunteers Search and Rescue Unit (see appropriate note).
Heavy Rescue Company
As per the TOE of an NEV Heavy Rescue Section.
***
[1] See this link for more information on the MDC. As it was a short-lived organisation, unsurprisingly, there is not all that much information on it online.
[2] Taken from Holliss, Barry R & Thompson, John C, 'The Green Machine' (Newport Pagnell, 1995), p. lii. The list only applied to vehicles and equipment in store in England. Additional vehicles and equipment were in store in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. At least 80 Emergency Pumps were stored in Scotland, for example.
[3] See this link for information on the HVP.
[4] More detailed descriptions of the 'Green Goddess' can be found here and here.
[5] See this link for details.
[6] See this article for details of the proposed refurbishment. In @, only the donated vehicle was refurbished.
[7] An explanation of the terms used can be found here.
[8] See this fact-file for more details. Information on fire service USAR can be found here.
