National future for region’s fire and police museum

It is only a matter of years since the museum was threatened with closure.

But since then, funds have been secured and the museum’s collection has grown from
having just 16 vehicles in 2010 to 66 with many other exhibitions and displays undergoing refurbishment.

Visitor numbers have also grown rapidly from 7,000 to 39.000 last year.

The museum first opened its doors back in 1983 with just a few small exhibits housed in the engine house of the old combined police, fire and ambulance station on West Bar, as the ‘South Yorkshire Fire Service Museum’.

It took another major step forward in 1993 with the opening of the cells and entrance of the old police station.

A spokesman said: “Becoming the UK’s National Emergency Services Museum means the world to us. It will allow more access to our Emergency Services history and will hopefully help give more respect to the services as the visitor experience will allow them to explore, discover and learn about every aspect of the emergency services and the jobs they do every day and most of all why they do this.”