Editing Air Raid Precautions (section)

==Second World War==
[[File:All-in War Worker- Everyday Life For Mrs M Hasler, Barnes, Surrey, 1942 D9377.jpg|thumb|right|150px|ARP wardens working at a London ARP sector post.]]
[[Local government in England|Local councils]] were responsible for organising all the necessary ARP services in their areas. Although the standard procedures prescribed that the ideal warden should be at least 30 years old, men and women of all ages were wardens. In certain instances, given special needs of communities, even teenagers were wardens. The role of ARP was open to both men and women but only men could serve in the gas contamination (teams that dealt with chemical and gas bombs), heavy and light rescue and demolition services.

Control of a local authority's warden service was through a chief warden to whom each sector's area warden would report. Within metropolitan boroughs, the initial aim was to have one warden to every 500 residents (this increased later), reporting from individual warden posts – each with its own post warden. Post wardens received messages from the local wardens which they passed to the central Report and Control headquarters.

ARP wardens were initially set up in temporary posts (in homes, shops and offices) and later in purpose-built facilities, mainly at the junctions of roads. In cities, a warden post was responsible for a small area (larger in rural areas) with five wardens to every 4–5,000 people. In London there were approximately ten posts to the square mile. Divided into sectors each post had between three and six wardens who had local knowledge of the location of shelters, [[Public utility|utilities]] (water, gas, electric), what buildings contained (important for the fire services) and who was resident in their sector.
ARP wardens had the task of patrolling the streets during [[blackout (wartime)|blackout]], to ensure that no light was visible. If a light was spotted, the warden would alert the person/people responsible by shouting something like "Put that light out!". They could report persistent offenders to the local police.

During the seven-month [[Phoney War]] period following the outbreak of war in September 1939, ARP wardens mainly offered advice, issued gas masks and air raid shelters (such as the external [[Anderson shelter|Anderson]] and internal [[Morrison shelter]]) and enforced the blackout.<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite web|url=http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/history-of-the-battle-of-britain/air-raid-shelter-protection.aspx|title=Air Raid Shelter Protection|website=RAF Museum|access-date=2016-05-23}}</ref>

===The Blitz===
[[File:An Air Raid Precautions Warden reports for duty to the Chief Warden at his local ARP post in Springfield, Essex, aUGUST 1941. D4263.jpg|thumb|right|150px|An ARP warden (in overalls) reports for duty to the Chief Warden at his sector post in Springfield, Essex, August 1941.]]
The role of ARP services came into their own during the [[The Blitz|Blitz of 1940–41]]. ARP control centres would sound the air raid sirens and wardens would marshal people into the shelters and then watch out for the fall of any bombs within their sector – often done during air raids and therefore highly dangerous.

When the wardens came across the site of a bombing they would telephone for the emergency services, render first aid to victims with minor injuries and deal with small fires (placing sand on [[incendiary device]]s). Other ARP units included first-aid, light and heavy rescue parties, stretcher parties and messenger boys and girls (who cycled between incidents carrying messages from wardens).
Other duties included helping to police areas suffering bomb damage and helping bombed-out householders. They were also tasked with keeping an emergency under control until official rescue services arrived.

From 1 September 1939 a small percentage of ARP wardens were full-time and were paid a salary (£3 for men, £2 for women), but most were part-time volunteers who carried out their ARP duties as well as full-time jobs. Part-time wardens were supposed to be on duty about three nights a week, but this increased greatly when the bombing was heaviest. One in six was a woman, and amongst the men there were a significant number of veterans of World War I.