TIDBITS

 

1. First town named after a Fire Company - The Britannica Fire Company organized in 1752 in Bridgeton, New Jersey. After 1787, the volunteer firefighters changed their name to the Mount Holly Fire Company. In the 1790s, the city decided they liked the new name and changed the name of their community to Mount Holly. This was the first town to be named after a fire company.

Souter, Gary & Janet Souter.  The American Fire Station.  Osceola, WI:  MBI, 1998.
  

2. Oldest Existing Firehouse - Mount Holly, New Jersey also boast having the earliest known firehouse. This shed, constructed in 1798, stored buckets and tools. In 1827, a farmer purchased in for $12.00 and hauled it to his property. In the 1950s, a local historian discovered this historic building.

Souter, Gary & Janet Souter.  The American Fire Station.  Osceola, WI:  MBI, 1998.
 

3. Plug-uglies -- Men hired to secure the fire plug so a volunteer company could be first in. They often came to blows with other companies defending the water supply.

Souter, Gary & Janet Souter.  The American Fire Station.  Osceola, WI:  MBI, 1998.

 
4. Steam Pumper Trivia -- While steam pumpers had many advantages they also provided challenges. One was that a within a moment a steamer could exhaust all available water in a well or a pond. They were ineffective if water mains were old or small in diameter. Another difficulty with steam pumpers was getting up steam in a hurry. Engineers warmed water in boilers and when the alarm sounded ignited the wood in a firebox. On the way to the fire the engineer carefully monitored the pressure. - Chicago got as much usage out of their steam-powered ladder trucks, hose wagons and steam pumpers by welding them to gas-powered tractors. - During World War II some departments reactivated their steam pumpers when production of fire vehicles ground to a halt.

Souter, Gary & Janet Souter.  The American Fire Station.  Osceola, WI:  MBI, 1998.
 

5. Helmets -- Jacob Turck, a New York gunsmith is credited with developing America’s first fire hat in 1740. The leather hat had a high crown and a narrow brim.
 

In 1828, Henry T. Gratacap produced a new leather helmet. It is possible the idea for the new headgear came from jockeys who wore their caps backward. The helmet had a lengthened rear brim and curved sides. They also included elaborate front-pieces that identified the name of the company. This head covering provided protection from falling debris and prevented water from running down the firemen’s neck. When worn backwards, the lengthened brim helped deflect heat from the face. Not only was it useful on the head, but it served other purposes as well. Firemen often used the helmet to break windows or provide ventilation. Trapped firefighters threw it out of windows or off of roofs to indicate help was needed. Gratacap’s helmet has been used for many years.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.
Smith, Dennis.  Dennis Smith's History of Firefighting in America:  399 Years.  New York:  Dial, 1978.


6. Pre-filled Pumpers -- competition was always stiff over which volunteer company would be first at a fire. As well as the prestige and pride involved, the first firemen on the scene frequently received cash bonuses from the cities and fire insurance companies. One unit in Boston came up with a grand plan. The year was 1819, and the volunteers decided to fill their pumper with water before arriving at the scene. But the officials balked. This gave them an advantage over other firefighters for first-water. Sadly, it would be years before this idea resurfaced.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


7. Fireboats -- the first fireboat was built in 1800. The New York volunteers located it on the East River at the foot of Roosevelt Street. The Floating Engine or Floater had a rotary engine where a circular motion produced a stream of water. The firemen rowed it to the scene of the fire and then pumped water onto the blaze. It was in use for 24 years. In 1873, the Boston fire department used a steam tug, with steam fire equipment aboard. The fireboat, built by Amoskeag could dispense eight streams of water simultaneously. Soon all major waterfront cities were ordering fireboats.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.
Smith, Dennis.  Dennis Smith's History of Firefighting in America:  399 Years.  New York:  Dial, 1978.


8. Fire Insurance and Firemarks -- in 1752, Benjamin Franklin founded the first successful fire insurance company in America. He named it the “Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire.” Other fire insurance companies had been established earlier than Franklin’s but they lost money and went out of business.

Generally, each insured structure placed a firemark on the second floor of the building to announce to everyone they were covered by insurance. The firemark for Franklin’s company had four hands clasped and crossed. The firemarks were made out of wood or lead. The purpose of the firemark was two-fold. The first was to deter arsonists. The second was to let firefighters know a bonus would be paid by the insurance company when damage was held to minimum. During the Revolutionary War, the British removed the lead firemarks while they occupied New York and Philadelphia. They melted them down for bullets.

In 1784, another fire insurance company began in Philadelphia when Franklin’s refused to issue insurance to some owners who had trees too close to their houses. Trees made it difficult to position fire equipment and helped fire spread. Dr. Benjamin Rush and other individuals who wanted to keep their trees formed a new company called the Mutual Assistance Company. Homeowners paid an extra-risk premium to preserve their trees. Their firemarks fittingly had a leafy tree displayed on them.

Many additional insurance companies formed before and after the Revolutionary War. When the war was over the firemarks were replaced. After paid fire companies came into existence they slowly disappeared.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.
Smith, Dennis.  Dennis Smith's History of Firefighting in America:  399 Years.  New York:  Dial, 1978.


9. Decorating Volunteer Fire Engines ca. 1790s
When a new engine arrived at a station, it was painted a drab gray. The volunteers decided how to decorate it. The time and money devoted to this undertaking was often mind boggling. Zophar Mills, a foreman of Eagle Engine Company in New York wrote, “I kept an account of my expenses in connection with the Fire Department, and I found that in seven years I had paid three thousand dollars.” Each company wanted their apparatus to be more lavish than other fire departments. After selected a paint color or colors, the firemen found funds to purchase additional embellishments such as plating (silver, gold, brass, or copper), inlays, mirrors and lanterns with colored lenses.

A pumper was incomplete without a painting. Many had more than four. Some companies hired well-known artists of the day to decorate their equipment. Many rigs sported elaborate decorations.

Here is one example. The St. Louis volunteers of Engine No. 2 chose crimson and gold for their décor. One panel displayed an Indian on horseback spearing a buffalo. The pumper also sported a carved American eagle holding arrows in its talons. A highly decorated apparatus required parade uniforms to match the rig. For the St. Louis Company it was: “blue shirts, white trousers, red patent lether belts, round-topped and low-crowned blue hats, and red silk scarves theat fasted at the neck with gold “2” emblems.”

At one time people frequently used the phrase: “All dressed up like a fire engine.” It sounds like it was quite a compliment!

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


10. Early firefighting methods
In the 18th century the common means of fighting fire was defensive. Equipment and gear did not allow volunteers to safely get close to the blaze. It was often assumed the involved structure was a lost cause. All energy concentrated on saving the buildings surrounding it.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


11. In the 1790s short capes were first used by volunteers to protect them from debris, sparks and water. The first capes were made of oil cloth. Over time canvas was used, then covered with three layers of paint. The paint frequently was in the station’s colors. Over time, capes became part of a parade uniform but were no longer used at the scene of a fire.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


12. “The Ham and Eggs Fire”
In 1904, a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco. A housewife thought there was no danger of fire in her neighborhood. She went home and began to cook her lunch. She was unaware that the chimney of her building had snapped. The heat from the kitchen flue quickly ignited the wooden roof of her building. Soon the area North of Market (30 blocks in all) was a blazing inferno.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


13. Fire Poles -- as fire stations developed into 2-story buildings, the second floor was used for sleeping and relaxation. When the alarm sounded the men charged down spiral staircases made of iron. Several stations had sliding chutes. Chicagoan David Kenyon of Engine Company No. 21 felt a pole would be faster than a chute. He built a wooden pole three inches in diameter and carefully sanded it and oiled it. The chief needed to be convinced Kenyon’s idea would work. He gave permission for a hole to be cut for the pole, but the inventor had to promise to repair it if the pole failed. It was first used in 1878 and was very successful. In 1880, the first brass pole was built in Worchester, Massachusetts by Charles Allen of Engine Company No. 1.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


14. New York Rescue Squad -- in 1915, New York experienced a major subway fire with over a hundred injuries. Shortly thereafter, the city established its first rescue squad. They used an open-type rig built by the fire department using a Cadillac touring car chassis. Ten firefighters worked on the squad. Their responsibilities included: “rescue work, ventilating and firefighting in places heavily charged with smoke or gas.”

The unit carried pulmotors and other equipment to revive people overcome by smoke. The rescue squad also used a cutting torch, a lifegun that shot ropes and two smoke helmets, an early type of self contained breathing apparatus.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


15. Chicago Ambulance Service -- after World War II, the Chicago Fire Department was assigned the task of creating an emergency ambulance service. Prior to this, accident victims waited as long as sixty minutes for a police paddy wagon to transport them to hospitals. Fire Captain Joseph J. McCarthy, who had served heroically in Japan during the war, spearheaded the task. He remembered the invaluable aid provided by Navy corpsmen when he was injured. The fleet originally had 25 ambulances.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.

 
16. Cleveland Clinic Fire -- Dr. George W. Crile served as a military physician in France during World War I. After the war he returned to Ohio and participated in the founding of the Cleveland Clinic. The clinic was a four-story building and had a hospital next door.

In 1929, the Clinic discovered a steam leak in the basement where the x-ray plates were located. They called a repairman but he was unable to find the source of the leak and left. They called him back several hours later. In the meantime, the x-ray plates, made of highly inflammable nitrate celluloid film, started to smolder. This caused a release of nitrogen dioxide, a poisonous gas. The deadly fumes spread through the clinic’s air vents. Several moments later two explosions occurred sending smoke throughout the Clinic. Dr. Crile, who had just completed a surgery in the hospital, heard the explosions and dashed out of the building. He spotted the yellow clouds escaping from the Clinic. His war experience helped him identify the poisonous gas.

Firefighters were summoned immediately. The fumes made it impossible for them to enter the building but they raised ladders and spread life nets to assist patients and medical personnel trying to escape from the Clinic windows. 125 people lost their lives in this tragedy. The majority died from the effects of the poisonous gas. X-rays no longer use nitrate celluloid film. They now use a harmless acetate film. Firefighters now faced new challenges. Frequently, new products created by chemists could create unexpected and deadly results.

Smith, Dennis.  Dennis Smith's History of Firefighting in America:  399 Years.  New York:  Dial, 1978.


17. Paid Fire Departments -- there were many factors that led to paid fire departments. While many volunteers provided excellent service others displayed conduct both ungentlemanly and dangerous. Some firemen became involved in brawling and looting. At the same time steam engines began to affect firefighting. Current rigs at that time required significant manpower to drag the rigs and provide muscle to produce streams of water to squelch the flames. As men tired, replacements were needed. Steam engines needed only three men to operate them. Fire insurance companies were eager for better equipment and devoted firemen to extinguish the blazes. In 1853, Cincinnati formed a paid fire department and is credited with being the first paid department in the United States.

The paid departments were organized in a paramilitary style, with an established chain of command. As major cities increased in size so did the demand for organized, paid fire departments.

When the New York Fire Department came into existence in 1865, there were 54 hose companies, 89 steamers, and 11 hook and ladders. Around 500 firefighters received annual salaries ranging from $700 to $3,000. They had one twenty-four hour day off each month. In the New York fire department only three members were allowed to ride on the engine: the driver, the stoker and the engineer. The rest of the station ran in front of the equipment clearing a path for it.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.
Smith, Dennis.  Dennis Smith's History of Firefighting in America:  399 Years.  New York:  Dial, 1978.


18. Firefighting in Ancient Times

As early as 400 B.C. hose played a part in fighting fire. In this era, the hose was made out of ox gut. Firemen filled bags with water and then forced them into the ox gut. The water was forced out of these early hoses by either sitting or stomping on the bag and the hose.

In 300 B.C., the Greeks invented an engine. Ctesibius developed a water pump for extinguishing flames. He used atmospheric pressure to fill a cylinder with water. On the downstroke, the water was forced out of the cylinder. The engine consisted of two cylinders with a single pump shaped like an upside down U. Ctesbius also invented a water clock and an organ.

In the first century B.C., another resident from Alexandria named Heron improved Ctesibius’ design. Heron added pistons that forced water out of them by a rocker arm. The rocker arm pivoted on a post. Water was ladled into the top of the apparatus and when a plunger was pushed, water squirted out. Archeologists have discovered the Romans used these engines. Remains have been uncovered in Bolsena, Italy and in Silchester, England.

The Romans had the technology to fight fires and they assigned slaves to battle the blazes for them. They were called Familia Publica. But the slaves had no desire to expose themselves to danger. When fire struck, they came . . . eventually.

Marcus Licinius Crassus saw an opportunity to garner wealth in the firefighting industry. He formed a force of slaves to extinguish the burning buildings. His crew dashed to the scene. Crassus would offer his services for a fee or he would bid on the burning building. If the owner refused his offer, the fire consumed the structure. By this method, Crassus acquired hundreds of homes inexpensively and charged exorbitant rates for them to renters.

In 6 A.D. one-fourth of the city of Rome burned. Following this fire, the Emperor Augustus formed Vigeles. The Vigiles was a fire service with 7,000 freed slaves. The firefighters earned the rights of citizenship after serving for six years. In 100 A.D., free-born men chose to work in the fire service. By this time, there was prestige tied to working for the fire department, equal to being a member of an elite military unit. The Vigiles also received power. If suspicion of fire existed, the men could break into a home. If arson was suspected, the homeowner could be flogged. For 400 years the Vigiles served in Rome. The only major disaster was Nero’s conflagration in 64 A.D. It is possible Nero forced the Vigiles to stand aside.

When the Roman Empire fell and large cities vanished so did the need for firemen and their engines. In the late 1400s, the fire engine would be re-invented. It used a design very much like Ctesibius’engine.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.
Durant, Will.  Caesar and Christ.  New York:  Simon and Schuster, 1944.
James, Peter and Nick Thorpe.  Ancient Inventions.  New York:  Ballantine, 1994.
Schmittroth, Linda, ed.  Eureka.  New York:  UXL, 1995.


19. Fire buckets in colonial towns had the owner's name painted on them. Laws often required residents to purchase them and keep them in repair. In the 1680s, in New York, the number of buckets a home or business needed was determined by the risk of fire. A baker must have three buckets and a brewer had to have six buckets on hand in case of fire.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


20. The first recorded mention of a fire engine was made in Boston in 1653. The town council hired Joseph Jenks, an iron worker to build the city and engine. It is not known if this "ingine" was a pumper or only a water-carrying tub.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


21. Fire legislations created after an inferno in Boston in 1653 included: All houses must have at least one ladder that will reach the ridge of the house. 12-foot poles with a large swab at the end were obtained for extinguishing roof fires. 6 extra long fire ladders were purchased and hung outside public buildings and branded with the town mark to dissuade thieves. 4 new hooks were acquired for public use and were also branded with the town mark.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.

 
22. Jacob Turck, a New York gunsmith is credited with developing America's first fire hat in 1740. The leather hat had a high crown and a narrow brim.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


23. Volunteer firefighters established fines ca. 1800 (These were stiff fees at the time.)

No helmet worn at a fire $.25
No badge worn on shirt $.25
Failure to attend a meeting $.50
Discussing politics at a meeting* $1.00
Improper behavior at a meeting* $1.00
Swearing during a meeting* $1.00
Coming to a meeting intoxicated* $1.00
Smoking a segar [sic]^ $.25
Chewing tobacco^ $.25

*New York Engine Co. No. 42
^New York Engine Co. No. 13

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


24. Volunteer fire departments visiting other stations has happened for many years. In the 1830s, railroad transportation made it possible to visit companies in other cities. Volunteers loaded their rigs onto flatcars and spent a weekend feasting together, parading and swapping stories. At the same time firefighters sought ways to improve their companies. By sharing information about equipment and operations everyone profited.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.


25. America’s first no-smoking law was issued in 1638 in Massachusetts. After numerous fires, residents were not allowed to smoke tobacco outdoors.

Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.

 
26. Many early firefighters grew mustaches and beards. These were crude smoke filters. A theory is stated that the firemen would fill the beard with water, stick it in their mouths and breathe through the wet hairs.

Firehouse.com/Breathing
Lewis, David L.  Through the Smoke  Fire Museum Network  1 March 1999.  25 July 2009.


27. During the Civil War, volunteer firefighters in Philadelphia showed compassion for the wounded. When the military ambulances could not adequately provide service, Southwark Hose Company No. 9 purchased a modern ambulance for $1,000. Other volunteer companies obtained ambulances and soon the fire departments owned 35 of them. A special “ambulance call” alarm was created. When the bells tolled nine times and then an additional six times (“9-6”) firemen appeared at the train station ready to transport the sick and injured soldiers. In a period of five days in December 1862, 2,500 patients were moved to hospitals. During the war, the volunteers transferred a total of 120,000 in their ambulances. The volunteer firehouses became medical stations when the hospitals ran out of space. Ditzel states: “Philadelphia’s was the first fire-department-operated ambulance service in the United States.”

Collins, Donald.  Our Volunteer Firemen, 1736-1882.  Ephrata, PA:  Science Press, 1982.
Ditzel, Paul C.  Fire Engines, Firefighters:  the Men, Equipment, and Machines, from Colonial Days to the Present.  New York:  Crown, 1976.

 
28. ROSIE'S DINER at 4500 14 Mile Rd., Rockford, MI 49341, has an "official" designation from the local fire department.... Station 2.

 
29. Curfew -- medieval French word meaning “cover-fire.” This was the hour when all fires in town had to be put out or at least covered, so that the town felt no fear about fire starting.

Gorrell, Gena.  Catching Fire:  The Story of Firefighting.  Toronto:  Tundra, 1999.  16.

 
30. Why Dalmatians are in fire stations -- Dalmatians were originally chosen as fire dogs because they formed a strong bond with the fire horses. They guarded the valuable equine and kept them company in the station.

Conway, W. Fred.  Firefighting Lore:  Strange but True Stories from Firefighting History.  New Albany, IN:  GFire Buff House Pubs., 1993. 


31. America’s first recorded fire occurred in Jamestown in May of 1607.

Smith, Dennis.  Dennis Smith's History of Firefighting in America:  399 Years.  New York:  Dial, 1978.


32. Why are there no thatched roofs or wooden chimneys in the United States? When wooden chimneys became clogged with wood tar, they caught fire and threw sparks onto the thatched roofs. In Boston, the town council instituted the first fire regulation. Smith quotes: “Noe man shall build his chimney with wood, nor cover his house with thatch.”

Smith, Dennis.  Dennis Smith's History of Firefighting in America:  399 Years.  New York:  Dial, 1978.


33. Fire Bells - Where did fire bells originate?
In 1068, William the Conqueror used bells to indicate when curfew (See also Tidbit 29) began so that the community would cover their fires and douse their lights. This was not an option; it was the law. William took the use of bells a step further when he commanded that bells peal in case of fire. Church bells often tolled when fire or disaster struck. Over time bells became an integral part of the fire service.

Gottschalk, Jack.  Firefighting.  New York:  DK, 2002.
Semmelroth, Ed.  “A Brief History of Fire and Its Uses”