Pordage, Arthur

About the artist

Name

Pordage, Arthur

Biography

Arthur Pordage was born in Dunbar, East Lothian in 1863. He trained as a seaman-navigator before becoming a fire-fighter in the London Metropolitan Fire Service and then working in Portsmouth. In 1896, he was appointed Firemaster of the Edinburgh Fire Brigade.

Under Pordage a new Central Fire Station was opened in Lauriston Place in 1900. This provided living quarters for the firemen above the Station. In 1911 Firemaster Pordage devised a set of signals for firemen to use at emergency situations to avoid the need to shout and ensure that messages were received correctly. The signals were based on Army and Navy semaphore and went on to be used around the world. He was a very popular firemaster and was known as "Good Old Dunbar!" by the citizens of Edinburgh.

He was very active in his profession: founding the national Fire Brigade Officers' Association and acting as President of the Institute of Fire Engineers. He retired as Firemaster of Edinburgh Fire Brigade in 1927, but continued to be recognised for his contributions and professionalism. He was praised by Winston Churchill in Parliament in 1940 and awarded the OBE in 1943. Arthur Pordage died in 1954, aged 91.

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