Fire Department

Researach Paper: Fire Department

Firemen and women and have been fighting fires and helping citizens in our country for three hundred and sixty-four years now. Fire fighting began in the colonies in

1648, in New York when the first fire ordinance was adopted by the Dutch settlement in New Hamsterdam. Back then they didn't have the equipment that firefighters in our day

use everyday. They worked with buckets, hooks and ladders that were provided to them through funds gathered from fines for cleaning dirty chimmneys. Firefighters actually

single handedly would fill up buckets (that were made out of leather by the dutch shoemakers) and run them to the fire to put it out. At the same time the fire oridance was

being organized, the settlement also established a fire watch of eight male wardens who each took his turn on watch. Soon after the wardens were assigned, an organization

known back then as the Prowlers was formed. Their job was to keep watch from nince O'clock to dawn each night, looking for signs of fire. The Prowlers were also known as

the Rattle Watch. It wasn't until 1731, fire brigades were put into service. London had brought over two hand-drawn pumpers that were known as the first fire engines to be

used in the colony. Six years later, the general asswmbly established the volunteer firefighter department. This was the solution to a fast growing colony. After the Revolutionary war, the department was reorganized as the Fire Department of the City of New York. The Fire department continued to do it's job at protecting citizens and property until after the civil war when in 1865, the were taken over by the paid Metropolition Fire Department. This upset many people who were opposed to the elimination of volunteer firefighters and conflict grew both on personal levels as well as political levels.