West Midlands Fire Service was born in 1974 after the Fire Services Act of the same year amalgamated all previous county borough fire brigades into county brigades. Regarded as a Metropolitan area, West Midlands Fire Service covered 344 square miles with 40 fire stations. There are several patterns of cap badge, the 1st issue from 1974 to 1981 depicted a map of the West Midlands area, there were several variations of that cap badge including plastic fronted which like Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade of the same period did away with them after only 3 years as the plastic covering on the front of the badge was not very protective & lots showed signs of damage. There were also thick & thin rim variations with thin or bold letters. Then came West Midlands County Fire Service with the name change & coat of arms cap badge. This lasted till 1985 when the brigade reverted to West Midlands County Fire Service.

This cap badge manufactured by London Button & Badge Company, official cap badge suppliers to the brigade of this pattern & is the 1974 to 1977 1st issue with a plastic protective front. It has the title West Midlands Fire Service The enamel centre fixed to the standard economy issue, lined Home Office star via a cap slider, one of the few brigades who used a cap fixing slider to the rear of the badge. This variation changed in 1977 because as with other fire brigades who used a plastic protective front, they realised that the plastic covers became detached easily so changed them to enamel fronts.