South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue buried a time capsule to mark the 50th anniversary of the service.
The aim of the time capsule is to capture a moment in time and celebrate the milestone and includes a set of documents that capture a sense of life in 2024, including film listings, the cost of basic groceries and the latest issue of the service’s staff newsletter.
It also includes information about the service, including how many staff it employs and the number of fire engines that are currently operational.
Chief Fire Officer, Chris Kirby said: “2024 is a big year for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue as we mark our 50th year, so it feels appropriate to preserve this moment in time for future generations by burying this time capsule today
“I’d also like to thank our estates team and everyone who has played a part in revitalising our training centre. One of our key aspirations as a service is to be a great place to work and ensuring our facilities are the best they can be is a key part of that, both for our own staff and for our partner organisations who regularly use our training centre.”
The plan is for the time capsule to be opened in 50 years-time – when the service, which is based at at the training centre in Handsworth, will mark a century of saving lives in South Yorkshire.
It is one of a number of events and activities the service is carrying out in 2024 to mark 50 years since its creation, including open days, fundraisers, and staff celebrations.
Fire Authority Chair Councillor Charlie Hogarth, said: “I’m delighted to be able to witness the burial of this time capsule and also see the excellent improvements that have been made to the Service’s training centre over the past few months.”
The department also published a video and a poem to celebrate South Yorkshire’s culture and heritage and the 50th anniversary. The poem is voiced by Sheffield’s Lioness and world cup finalist Esme Morgan, with the music track performed by the South Yorkshire Police band.