Portadown Fire Station, Thomas Street

Image: © P Flannagan Taken: 7 Feb 2010

The Northern Ireland Fire Authority was formed in 1950 from an amalgamation of The Northern fire authority with its headquarters in Ballymena, the Western fire authority with its headquarters in Londonderry and the Southern fire authority with its headquarters in Portadown. These authorities had been formed in 1947 after the N.F.S. (N.I) had been stood down. Fire Force Commander of the newly formed Northern Ireland Fire Authority was George Murphy who was, until 1950, the Fire Services Inspector for the Ministry of Home Affairs. When George Murphy retired in 1972, the Authority appointed George Morrison as Fire Force Commander. He held this office until the Northern Ireland Fire Authority amalgamated with the Belfast Fire Brigade in 1973. The newly formed brigade, now entitled, "Fire Authority for Northern Ireland" appointed George Morrison as The Chief Fire Officer. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Board (FRSB) replaced the FIRE Authority for Northern Ireland (FANI) on 1st July 2006. The Board is responsible for Fire and Rescue Services in Northern Ireland. Its statutory duties are the promotion of fire safety, fire fighting, rescuing people trapped in road traffic accidents, protecting and rescuing people from other hazards, acting as the enforcement authority for new safety requirements and emergency planning

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