In addition to the Wardens and Fire Fighting Services, it was necessary under the Civil Defence Act to train a suitable proportion of civilians to give first-aid treatment in the event of air raids. Lloyd’s had already formed a First Aid Party in 1938 from volunteers who had had some training, and an efficient body of men and women was built up who, throughout the war, attended lectures and passed the various St. John’s Ambulance Brigade examinations.
First-aid posts were established at various points throughout the shelters, equipped with first-aid satchels and connected by telephone with the main sick bay and stretcher-post.
In March 1939, the Committee appealed for volunteers to be trained in fire-fighting, particularly in the handling of the hydrant and hoses. The original party consisted of about 50 members of the Corporation’s staff, who were trained in their spare time by the London Fire Brigade, and the force had built up to about 100 when war broke out, and eventually to nearly 200.
With so many firemen, night-duty staff and others remaining in the buildings at night, it was necessary to provide a first-aid party throughout the day, and from a week before the war until its end, there were always three to five trained men and women on duty every night and throughout weekends.
Like most modern buildings, Lloyd’s Building and Royal Mail House were not equipped with anything more adequate for fire fighting than portable chemical extinguishers, because the construction was regarded as fire-resisting. The Committee however, realised, that, if war broke out, the fire menace would be greatly accentuated, and that the existing fire services would have to be expanded. It was decided to install a hydrant with points on every floor for hose connections.
All the fire-fighters were equipped with overalls, steel helmets, rubber boots, belts, axes, torches and service respirators. They carried out regular drills on their duty nights, and thus acquired an intimate knowledge of the geography of the buildings and of the positions of water-taps and hydrant valves. Beds and bedding were provided, and, except for two who always remained on guard, all slept in the same dormitory, which was originally in the Telephone Rooms, then on the fourth floor and later in the main shelter.
