Located outside the Fire Services Museum, which was the Metropolitan Fire Brigade headquarters and main station, the Fire Watch Tower stands 52 metres tall. This Tower was used for spotting fires and for training activities such as how to put up ladders quickly, how to accurately control fire hoses and to how to safely jump from burning buildings.
Fire fighters would take turns to stand in the watch tower and look out for suspicious puffs of smoke rising throughout the city.
As most people did not have telephones to report fires, spotting the smoke from the tower or hearing a street fire alarm, would often be the first indication that a fire was in progress and that the Fire Brigade would soon be called out.
"Tower duty was worked in one-hour shifts with no chairs or ledge to sit on to make sure the fireman on duty was awake The fireman in the tower had to walk around continuously, pushing buttons at regular intervals to prove that he was awake and watching all the time." taken from "Life Under the Bells"
Len Greaney, Curator of the Museum, seen here with some Museum visitors, tells a good story about his memories of "the Tower" during his training days. Make sure you ask him all about it when you visit the Museum !
