Catalogue description Bedfordshire Fire Service Personnel Record Cards

The cards vary in format over time and include cards kept by Luton Fire Brigade (1964-1974), National Fire Service in Bedfordshire (1941-1948) and Auxiliary Fire Service in Bedfordshire (until 1968) as well as Bedfordshire Fire Service (from 1948). Content varies but may contain sections for the following information (those sections always present are marked with an asterisk *):

- *Full name;

- *Home address;

- *Marital status;

- *Date of birth;

- *Date of enrolment;

- *Name, address and relationship of next of kin;

- *Previous Fire Brigade service, noting brigade, rank, whole or part time and dates;

- *Postings and promotions, noting station, rank and dates;

- Other (rubber stamp) details or special qualifications such as the date an HGV driver's licence was gained;

- Decorations, awards and commendations, giving dates and details;

- Disciplinary cases, giving date, nature of offence and punishment;

- Qualifications, courses, examinations giving date and details;

- National insurance number;

- Whether whole time or part time (later called retained);

- Civilian occupation at time of enrolment;

- Employer's name and address (part time/retained personnel only);

- Brigade number;

- HM Forces Reserve class number;

- Medical examinations, giving date, reason and result;

- Training courses attended, giving dates, course description and result;

- National Registration identity number;

- Driving Licence details;

- Training record, giving dates of training in pre-printed courses, e.g. hydrants and water supplies or knots and lines;

- Date undertook 3 year engagement to qualify for Bounty;

- Date passed proficiency test on completion of standard training;

- Subsequent engagements.

The catalogue contains entries in the following format:

Fred BLOGGS (30 Jul 1933)* 1960**

Buckinghamshire, Bedford, Luton, Ampthill. +

Leading Fireman, wholetime then retained. #

* Date of birth.

** Date of enrolment in Fire Service

+ Bedfordshire stations served at and other Brigades served in during the time to which the record card relates (i.e. before the individual's details were computerised and the record cards discontinued).

# Highest rank attained during the time to which the record card relates (i.e. before the individual's details were computerised and the record cards discontinued), and whether the individual was wholetime, part time (later called retained), where known, or a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) or National Fire Service (NFS).

The cards have been sorted into alphabetical order.

As the cards contain information of a personal, sometimes a confidential, nature, access is restricted at the discretion of the archivist.

This series was deposited by Bedfordshire Fire Service in April 1995, consisting of an unsorted bundle of personnel record cards, redundant following the computerisation of personnel records.