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LCC-LFB Change from brass to cork fire helmets
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LCC-LFB Change from brass to cork fire helmets
A significant landmark when on 14 July 1934 the LFB started to replace its traditional brass helmet with a new compressed cork design. It would be four years before the changeover was completed. The death of a firefighter, when his brass helmet touched a live cable during firefighting operations, brought about the policy change. Here the brass helmet, introduced by Captain Eyre Massey Shaw (Metropolitan Fire Brigade), a symbol of Londons firemen for over seventy years, meets a modern, safer replacement
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Media ID 7641683
© London Fire Brigade / Mary Evans Picture Library
1938 Brass Cable Change Compressed Cork Dangerous Headgear Helmets Live Metropolitan Operations Policy Replace Safer Safety Significant Touched Unifrom Changeover Firefighter Firefighters Firefighting Fireman Firemen Unifroms
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures a poignant moment in the history of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) as the traditional brass fire helmets, a symbol of London's firefighters for over seven decades, make way for their safer, modern counterparts. Introduced by Captain Eyre Massey Shaw of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in the early 1900s, the brass helmets had become an iconic part of the firefighter's uniform. However, the danger posed by these helmets became apparent when, during firefighting operations on 14 July 1934, a firefighter tragically lost his life after his brass helmet touched a live cable. In response, the LFB initiated a policy change to replace the brass helmets with new compressed cork designs. The changeover, which took four years to complete, marked a significant improvement in the safety of firefighters' headgear. In this image, the old and the new meet, symbolizing the transition from a dangerous past to a safer future. The brass helmet, a relic of the past, stands in stark contrast to the sleek, modern cork design, marking the end of an era for London's fire brigade.
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