resolved that a salvage brigade be established. Similar corps were established in London in 1865 and Glasgow 1873. Operation of the Salvage Corps The Liverpool Salvage Corps had three distinct areas of operational service. Before a fire The original Salvage Committee established a set of rules and regulations for all warehouses and sheds seeking to do business in the Liverpool area and who wanted to buy insurance cover. These rules set out in minute detail how premises were to be constructed, maintained and managed. Each building was given a classification which dictated what goods were allowed to be stored therein. Fire prevention and minimising the spread of fire were of paramount importance. Each registered premises was inspected in detail every year against the original classification and was randomly visited 2 or 3 times a week to make sure storage and housekeeping was of a high standard. All warehouse keepers had to be registered with the Liverpool Salvage Corps and licensed by the City Council. By these rules and regulations a great deal of order and organisation was brought to Liverpool's warehousing industry and in return for cooperating the warehouse owners enjoyed a preferential rate of insurance. After the fire Cotton was the largest and most important trade in Liverpool Docks which handled half of Britain's cotton imports by 1800, and 90 percent by 1830. The Liverpool Salvage Corps operated the largest cotton recovery plant in the United Kingdom. Cotton has a very high salvage potential. In the hands of experts as much as 80% of even a badly burned bale of cotton can be recovered and sold for a similar value to that of the original cotton. Liverpool Salvage Corps returned many millions of pounds to the insurance companies from its work as salvors. During the fire Safety considerations dictated that Liverpool Salvage Corps personnel wore uniforms and helmets similar to those of Local Authority Fire-fighters, although it was sufficiently different to make the Corps crews easily identifiable on the fire ground. Salvage tenders were not front-line fire fighting and rescue vehicles. Their function and equipment was to prevent avoidable damage from fire fighting operations. Most major fires are extinguished using water and it is this that can result in extensive damage. A modern fire appliance can deliver many tons of water onto a fire in a very short period of time. Huge savings can be made by expert crews