Sawbridgeworth is a small town in the east of the County of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and has supported a Fire Brigade since the latter part of the 19th Century. Almost all towns and many villages had fire fighting arrangements of some sort, but it was not until the end of the 19th century that small teams of men were organised and began to be supported by both local dignitaries and industry and later, by the Local Authorities such as Cities, Boroughs and Urban/District Councils.

The history of Sawbridgeworth is well documented with its origins going back a long way. By the end of the 19th century the population had grown to around 2,000 with the 1901 census indicating 2,460. Undoubtedly the changes brought about by the growth of communications like the Railway and River Stort, together with the substantial timber, malting and milling businesses had been influential by this time. With industry expanding, the potential for losses through fire was also growing, something that the insurance providers of the day had come to recognise. It seems reasonable to suppose that to have a Fire Brigade became fashionable in that the wealthy land owners and business people of the areas around would feel that their particular 'province' was not complete without one. Sometime earlier, the availability of 6 - 8 men manual pumping equipment had been developed and progress beyond this was being made, making the bucket chain, the main standby for estate houses and the like, somewhat redundant.