LANCASHIRE Fire and Rescue Service has been keeping the county's people safe for generations.

A British invention, the first steam fire engine was built by Braithwaite and Ericsson in 1829 and slowly began filtering out to the different services during the 19th century.l

However, armed with nothing but a basic hose and buckets, dedicated firefighters would tackle large fires and help save the lives of those trapped in buildings.

While the job of a firefighter is still a very dangerous job and only through thorough planning, safety checks and countless hours of practice and training, the safety aspect has significantly improved throughout the decades.

The introduction of breathing equipment, fire retardant clothing, state-of-the-art fire engines and advances in communication technology meant firefighters were able to save a lot more lives and put out fires at much quicker response times.

The use of drones has also given firefighters the ability to gain a bird's eye view of large fires, which helps them target key areas and stop fires spreading.

Regardless of the year, those who work in the fire service have always been held in high regard across Lancashire.

Did you or a family member work for the service? Maybe you can spot yourself in one of these pictures.