County of Hereford Fire Brigade and Worcester City and County Fire Brigade came together to form the new Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade on 1 April 1974. The Brigade mirrored the amalgamation of the two counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire which took place on the same date and would last until 1998.

The new brigade was structured into two divisions to take into account the 26 fire stations. The East division comprised the majority of the previous Worcestershire stations – Worcester, Stourport, Bewdley, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Redditch, Evesham, Pebworth, Broadway, Pershore and Upton. The West division comprised all of the existing Herefordshire stations – Ledbury, Fownhope, Ross-on-Wye, Whitchurch, Hereford, Ewyas Harold, Eardisley, Kington, Leintwardine, Kingsland, Leominster and Bromyard – but with the addition of two Worcestershire stations – Tenbury Wells and Malvern.

The fire stations at Halesowen and Stourbridge, which had previously been part of the Worcestershire grouping, were transferred into the new West Midlands County Fire Service.

Subsequently, in 2002, a new fire station in Peterchurch was added to West Division, but a further reorganisation saw the existing two divisions become three districts. West District now purely encompasses the Herefordshire Fire Stations with Worcestershire regaining Malvern and Tenbury Wells and being split into North and South Districts.

The new body’s first Chief Fire Officer was Reginald Doyle, previously the CFO of the Worcester City and County Fire Brigade. Mr Doyle has, in subsequent years been succeeded by Frank Partington OBE, Robin Richards, David O’Dwyer, Paul Hayden, Mark Yates and Nathan Travis through to our current chief Jon Pryce. 

In September 2004, Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade became Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service to better reflect the duties now being carried out. At the same time, the fire authority became Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority.

The Service has been based at Hindlip since November 2018 when it re-located from its previous headquarters at Kings Court on Charles Hastings Way in Worcester to share with West Mercia Police.

Thanks to Clive Shearman, whose book ‘Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service – An Illustrated History’ published by Tempus Publishing Ltd, is an invaluable source of information about the Service.