The Fire Department
First Safety Laws
The first Fire Safety Laws and fire alarm
"system" in the new world was devised by the
Dutch colonists in Neuw Amsterdam, now
called New York City. When Peter Stuyvesant,
the governor of Neuw Amsterdam, heard about
the big fires that burned down large areas
of Plymouth, Boston, and Jamestown, he
passed some fire safety laws in 1648. One
law said that no fireplace chimney could be
made of wood but must be constructed of clay
brick or stone. Another law said that you
couldn't pile straw against a house or
building.
He was also responsible for
the first group of "volunteer"
firefighters. Every able bodied man was
required to serve the community.
 Later,
in 1658, he organized eight young men to
become the first fire alarm patrol or
"system." They were called the "Rattle
Watch." They patrolled the streets at night
looking for fires. If they found a fire,
they would sound the alarm by whirling a
rattle device (pictured), and the noise
would wake up the neighbors.
Later laws were passed that
required all households to provide one
leather bucket, "well oiled", for the
purpose of fighting fires. There were no
fire engines in those days. At the sound of
the alarm, the people would throw their fire
buckets into the street for the firefighters
to use. The firefighters would gather up the
buckets as they raced to the fire and form
two lines from a place where they could get
water to the fire.
Then they would pass the
buckets full of water to the scene of the
fire and return them by the other line after
one of the firefighter threw the water onto
the fire. This became known as a "Bucket
Brigade."
 Early
Fire Trucks
There are a great many different types of
fire trucks. All have a different job to
do. Some pump water, some raise ladders, and
some are used to take people to the
hospital. Many are used to carry the
equipment that firefighters need for special
emergencies, like a train wreck or a
building collapse.
A truck that pumps water from a fire
hydrant to a fire is called a "fire engine"
or "pumper." (left) Firefighters pulled
pumpers to a fire years ago. Later horses
were used to pull the pumper.
 There
was also a wagon used to haul the hose
(right).
They were pulled by the
firefighters and then by horses, the same as
the pumper were. The wagons were called
"hose wagon" or "hose cart." or "hose reel"
and would lay out the hose from a fire
hydrant to a pumper, or from a pumper at a
fire hydrant to the fire. Today, most fire
engines carry both the pump and the hose,
and also some water. Hose wagons are still
used today, especially where there is need
for lots of hose or extra large sized hose.
The term "fire truck"
usually means any other type of truck used
to carry equipment or people to a fire or
emergency. When a firefighter says "truck"
though, he usually means a "hook and ladder"
or "aerial ladder" truck. This type of fire
truck carries a large assortment of hand
ladders and has a long extension ladder that
can reach as high as 100 feet or about 10
stories high.
There are many other types
of fire trucks. There are rescue trucks and
tanker trucks. There are hazmat trucks,
airplane crash trucks, heavy rescue and many
more. Fire trucks come in many different
colors, sizes, and shapes, and some have
many different uses.
If riding fire trucks
interest you, think about being a
firefighter. Explore further by clicking on
Firefighter. |
