ESSEX Fire Museum has been given a £39,500 grant to create an oral history of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.

The cash, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be used to capture the living memories of former firefighters and fire service staff and create a smartphone and tablet app which will enable virtual access to the museum.

Essex Fire Museum, in Hogg Lane, Grays, gives visitors the opportunity to take a fascinating look at the history of the Fire Service in Essex.

It holds a collection featuring historic fire engines, firefighting equipment, uniforms and photographs.

Collected and curated by former Grays firefighter, Roger Pickett, visitors can see for themselves how firefighting has changed over the years as the technology has advanced.

Andrea MacAllister, museum manager, said: “This project will preserve the memories, and the important legacy, of the men and women who have helped to shape Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and protect the people who have lived in the county.

“Not only will those memories be preserved, they will also enable young people to discover the service’s history and learn from voices of the very people who lived through that history.”