Fire Services Act 1947

3 Supplementary powers of fire authorities. E+W

(1) The powers of a fire authority shall include power—

(a) to provide accommodation for the fire brigade for their area and its equipment, including housing and other accommodation for members of the brigade and furniture reasonably required for such accommodation;

(b) to pay to persons, not being members of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act, who render services for fire-fighting purposes such rewards as the authority think fit;

(c) to provide and maintain fire alarms in such positions in any street or public place as they think proper, and to affix any such fire alarm to any wall or fence adjoining astreetor public place;

(d) to employ the fire brigade maintained by them, or use any equipment so maintained, outside their area;

[F1 (dd) to employ the fire brigade maintained by them, or use any equipment so maintained, at sea (whether or not within the territorial sea of the United Kingdom);]

(e) to employ the fire brigade maintained by them, or use any equipment so maintained, for purposes other than fire-fighting purposes for which it appears to the authority to be suitable [F2 (whether in their area, in another authority’s area or at sea (whether or not within the territorial sea of the United Kingdom))] and, if they think fit, to make such charge as they may determine for any services rendered in the course of such employment or use.

[F3 (2) Before exercising the powers conferred by subsection (1)(c) above in relation to a highway for which they are not the highway authority or, in Scotland, a public road for which they are not the roads authority, a fire authority shall obtain the consent of the highway or roads authority;] and—

(a) without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this subsection, the said powers shall not be exercised in a [F4 district] except after consultation with the council of the [F4 district,]

(b) the said powers shall not be exercised except after consultation with the chief officer of police for the area in which the fire alarms are to be placed.

F5 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) Save as expressly provided in this Act, a fire authority shall not make any charge for services rendered by the authority.

[F7 (4A) A fire authority in England or Wales may make a charge for a service which is rendered for fire-fighting purposes—

(a) under subsection (1)(dd) above, and

(b) outside the area of every fire authority in Great Britain.]

(5) A fire authority may be authorised by the [F8 Secretary of State] to purchase compulsorily any land, whether situate within or without the area of the authority, which is required by them for the purposes of their functions under this Act, and the [F9 Acquisition of Land Act 1981], shall apply F10 . . .

F11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Extent Information

E1 This version of this provision extends to England and Wales only; a separate version has been created for Scotland only.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 3(1)(dd) inserted (17.7.1997) by 1997 c. 28, s. 4; S.I. 1997/1539, art. 2, Sch.

F2 Words in s. 3(1)(e) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2003) by Marine Safety Act 2003 (c. 16), ss. 2(2), 4

F3 Words in s. 3(2) substituted (E.W.S) (1.11.1991) by New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c. 22, SIF 59), s. 168(1), Sch. 8 Pt. IV para. 99(2); (S.) S.I. 1991/2286, art. 2(2), Sch. 2 and (E.W.) S.I. 1991/2288, art. 3, Sch.

F4 Word substituted by virtue of Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), s. 179(3)

F5 S. 3(2)(c) repealed by Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 11 Pt. II

F6 Ss. 1(3), 2(7), 3(3), 17(5), 18(2), 19(7)(9)(10), 20, Schs. 1, 2 repealed by Fire Services Act 1959 (c. 44), Sch.

F7 S. 3(4A) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2003) by Marine Safety Act 2003 (c. 16), ss. 2(3), 4

F8 Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1951/142 (1951 I, p. 1348), arts. 3, 5(2), Sch. Pt. I, 1951/1900 (1951 I, p. 1347), 1965/319, arts. 2(1), 10(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I and 1967/486, art. 2(6), Sch. 2

F9 Words substituted by Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67, SIF 28:1), s. 34, Sch. 4 para. 1 Table

F10 Words repealed by Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67, SIF 28:1), s. 34, Sch. 6 Pt. I

F11 Proviso repealed by Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67, SIF 28:1), s. 34, Sch. 6 Pt. II

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 3(5): transfer of functions (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/672, arts. 1(2), 2, Sch. 1

3 Supplementary powers of fire authorities. S

(1) The powers of a fire authority shall include power—

(a) to provide accommodation for the fire brigade for their area and its equipment, including housing and other accommodation for members of the brigade and furniture reasonably required for such accommodation;

(b) to pay to persons, not being members of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act, who render services for fire-fighting purposes such rewards as the authority think fit;

(c) to provide and maintain fire alarms in such positions in any [F12 road] or public place as they think proper, and to affix any such fire alarm to any wall or fence adjoining a [F12 road] or public place;

(d) to employ the fire brigade maintained by them, or use any equipment so maintained, outside their area;

[F13 (dd) to employ the fire brigade maintained by them, or use any equipment so maintained, at sea (whether or not within the territorial sea of the United Kingdom);]

(e) to employ the fire brigade maintained by them, or use any equipment so maintained, for purposes other than fire-fighting purposes for which it appears to the authority to be suitable and, if they think fit, to make such charge as they may determine for any services rendered in the course of such employment or use.

[F14 (2) Before exercising the powers conferred by subsection (1)(c) above in relation to a highway for which they are not the highway authority or, in Scotland, a public road for which they are not the roads authority, a fire authority shall obtain the consent of the highway or the roads authority;][F15 and—

(a) without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this subsection, the said powers shall not be exercised in a district except after consultation with the council of the district,]

(b) the said powers shall not be exercised except after consultation with the chief officer of police for the area in which the fire alarms are to be placed.

F16 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F17 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) Save as expressly provided in this Act, a fire authority shall not make any charge for services rendered by the authority.

(5) A fire authority may be authorised by the [F18 Secretary of State] to purchase compulsorily any land, whether situate within or without the area of the authority, which is required by them for the purposes of their functions under this Act, and the [F19 Acquisition of Land Act 1981], shall apply F20 . . .

F21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Extent Information

E2 This version of this provision extends to Scotland only; a separate version has been created for England and Wales only.

Textual Amendments

F12 Word "road" substituted (S.) by Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), s. 156(1), Sch. 9 para. 34(2)(a)

F13 S. 3(1)(dd) inserted (17.7.1997) by 1997 c. 28, s. 4; S.I. 1997/1539, art. 2, Sch.

F14 Words in s. 3(2) substituted (E.W.S.) (1.11.1991) by New Roads and Street Works Act (c. 22, SIF 108), s. 168(1), Sch. 8 Pt. IV para. 99(2); (S.) S.I. 1991/2286, art. 2(2), Sch. 2 and (E.W.) S.I. 1991/2288, art. 3, Sch.

F15 Words substituted (S.) by virtue of Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), s. 156(1), Sch. 9 para. 34(2)(b)

F16 S. 3(2)(c) repealed by Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 11 Pt. II

F17 S. 3(3) repealed by Fire Services Act 1959 (c. 44), Sch.

F18 Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1951/142 (1951 I, p. 1348), arts. 3, 5(2), Sch. Pt. I, 1951/1900 (1951 I, p. 1347), 1965/319, arts. 2(1), 10(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I and 1967/486, art. 2(6), Sch. 2

F19 Words substituted by Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67, SIF 28:1), s. 34, Sch. 4 para. 1 Table

F20 Words repealed by Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67, SIF 28:1), s. 34, Sch. 6 Pt. I

F21 Proviso repealed by Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67, SIF 28:1), s. 34, Sch. 6 Pt. II