National Association of Retired Firefighters - Durham & Darlington Branch

09/10/2026

Today, the service fell silent as we said goodbye to retired Fire Control Project Manager, SM Christine Robson MBE.

Christine sadly passed away on Sunday, October 6 and her funeral was held today surrounded by friends and family, including many of those she worked closely with during her career.

Christine started her career in control in 1977, retiring in 2023, and throughout her time at the Service had been the driving force behind improvements to our mobilising and control room systems, even bringing in the first fully computerised system into control in the mid-nineties.

🧡Rest in peace Christine, we will miss you.

06/10/2026

Some very young faces from Durham Blue Watch on a walk in the Lake District.

01/09/2026

https://youtu.be/5Ch221Bj0Lk?si=7fzYwHVzzQJXi3wZ

01/09/2026

Dan Smith is looking to track down any historic or in-service photographs of a classic Dennis D-Series petrol fire appliance (Rolls-Royce engine), registration MPT 740P.
The appliance is currently in the care of a new owner who is keen to build up a historical archive of her operational days.
If anyone has any photos of MPT 740P on turnout, at station, or attending incidents back in the day—or if you remember driving or working with her—please leave a comment below or drop me a direct message!
Any memories, station allocations, or pictures would be hugely appreciated.

15/05/2026

04/05/2026

Today is International Firefighters Day!

We celebrate Firefighters around the globe who place their lives on the line every day to protect our lives and property.

We thank the families of Firefighters who provide the necessary support to allow them to perform their duty.

We remember and give thanks for Firefighters throughout history who have lost their lives in the performance of their duty.

We send our deepest respects to the loved ones of Firefighters who are left behind after that loss.

Pictured in this post in St Florian, the Patron Saint of Firefighters.

Florian was a senior officer in the Roman Army in the 3rd Century. He was charged with organising and training Vigile Urbanis - the first organised Firefighting service.

Florian was also charged with seeking out Christians to be put to death in the area he commanded. Florian refused to do so as he was of the Christian faith himself.

In punishment, Florian was tortured, set fire to and eventually thrown into a river where he ultimately drowned.

St Florian was also attributed with performing the miracle of extinguishing a large fire with only a bucket of water which is depicted in images of him.

To all Firefighters on duty today - keep safe and we hope that your shift is ‘Q’.

23/04/2026

A brilliant evening catching up with familiar faces at The Bishop’s Mill tonight 🔥

More than 20 retired firefighters dropped in from near and far—some planned, some completely by chance—and the stories, laughs, and memories flowed all night. It just goes to show that once you’ve been part of the job, the camaraderie never fades.

Great to see everyone, and safe to say… we’ll definitely be doing it again 👨‍🚒🍻