fire department

Prepared by Illya D'Addezio.

The history of organized combating of structural fires dates back at least to Ancient Egypt. Many people put out fires back in biblical times, but whether people did it for a living is unknown.¹ The United States did not employ professional firefighters in the sense of government-organized departments until the time of the Civil War. Before then, amateur fire brigades competed with one another to be the first to respond to a fire -- in order to receive the payout from the insurance companies.² These brigades, or fire societies, were very organized, with individuals having specific assignments: put out fire; get residents to safe place, or secure an items pertinent to their financial well-being.

¹ Firefighter (wikipedia)
² A History of Fire Departments

Allentown Fire Department 1929 Memorial Service ($)
Buffalo Fire Department 1878 Report ($)
Charlestown Fire Department 1857 Report ($)
Cleveland Police and Fire Department 1918 Rosters ($)
Concord Fire Department 1916 Report ($)
Concord Fire Department 1918 Report ($)
Cornell Hose Co. No. Two 1890 Members ($)
District of Columbia Fire Department 1905 Report ($)
District of Columbia Fire Department 1908 Report ($)
Dover Fire Department 1875 Annual Report ($)
Gloucester United Fire Society 1845 Roster ($)
Hope Hose Company 1871 Membership ($)
Massachusetts Charitable Fire Society 1805 Catalogue ($)
Mix District Vol. Fire Co. No. 7 Dedication Exercises ($)
Neversink Fire Co, No. 3 100th Anniversary Menu ($)
New England Assoc. of Fire Chiefs 1925 ($)
New York Central 1955 Seniority Roster Eng. and Fire. ($)
New York Forest Fire Protective Force 1958 Roster ($)
New York State Firemen's Association 1903 Convention ($)
Niagara Falls Bureau of Fire 1925 Report ($)
Pennsylvania Firemen's Association 1915 Convention ($)
Reading Hose Company 100th Anniversary ($)
Seattle Fire Deparment 1928 Report ($)
Southern New York Firemen's Association 1910 Convention ($)
Union Fire Company 1825 Roster ($)
Utica Police and Fire Company 1899 Rosters ($)
Utica Police and Fire Company 1904 Rosters ($)
Washington Forest Fire Association 1916 Report ($)
Westbury Fire Department 1929 Roster ($)
Wilmington Fire Department 1899 Report ($)
Wolfeboro Fire Precinct Officers 1929 Report ($)
Wolfeboro Fire Precinct Officers 1930 Report ($)

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