Capturing a moment in time is the aim of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue which has buried a time capsule as part of its 50th year celebrations.

The Service’s training centre in Handsworth was chosen as the spot to bury the capsule to mark the refurbishment of parts of the building including the canteen and reception area which also includes a mural created by local artist Luke Horton.

Included within the time capsule are 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 information about how many staff it employs and the number of fire engines that are currently operational.

The plan is for the capsule to be opened in 50 years-time – when the service will mark a century of saving lives in South Yorkshire.

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.”

Fire Authority Chair Cllr 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 Training and Development Centre is where all South Yorkshire wholetime and on-call firefighter trainees complete their initial training course.

The time capsule, which was buried on Tuesday 27 February, 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, staff celebrations and a few surprises along the way.

Professional firefighting in South Yorkshire dates back much longer than 50 years.

But it was at midnight of 31 March 1974 that the City of Sheffield Fire Brigade, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Fire Brigade, Rotherham Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Barnsley Metropolitan Fire Brigade, and the parts of the former West Riding Fire Brigade that lay with the new South Yorkshire boundary, became what was then known as South Yorkshire County Fire Service.