This chapter covers: This chapter covers

This chapter covers:

• This chapter covers:

• Importance of the mission of the fire service
• Purpose of a mission statement
• Major events that alter the history of the fire service
• History of firefighting and emergency response

Firefighter tasks are the same all over the world

• Firefighter tasks are the same all over the world

• Save lives and property from fire and other emergencies
• Different fire departments have different approaches

• Mission synonymous with purpose for existence

• Legal authority to act in a certain manner

• Mission statement

• Written declaration describing things it intends to do to protect citizenry or customers

• Every individual responsible for mission

Factors common to all agencies

• Factors common to all agencies

• Organizational structure
• Inventory of facilities, apparatus, equipment, methods
• Programs to protect life and property

• Categories of programs

• Fire and emergency operations and fire prevention
• Arson investigation
• Training
• Emergency medical services
• Communications and maintenance

Turning point in human history: recognition of value of fire

• Turning point in human history: recognition of value of fire

• Initial challenge: manage fire, prevent it from destroying its user

• Ancient Greeks believed fire was a gift from Prometheus

• Phoenix myth: fire powerful destroyer and giver of life

• Ancient cultures used fire; fire destroyed their homes and consumed their property

Vesta: Roman goddess, protector of hearth fire

• Vesta: Roman goddess, protector of hearth fire

• Hero of Alexandria: created first fire pump

• 22 B.C.: magistrates reported fire outbreaks at night

• “Familia publica” organized along military lines

• A.D. 6: “Cohortes Vigilum” permanent fire brigade

• Housed in barracks; toured the city at night looking for fires

Emperor Augustus created seven cohorts

• Emperor Augustus created seven cohorts

• Seven military units under command of a tribune
• Groups under a prefect (officer of equestrian rank)
• Each prefect had 500 men, later expanded to 1000
• Vigiles were a variety of specialists

• Roman leaders attempted to regulate building

• After fall of Rome, no organized fire brigades for 1000 years

• Legacy of organized firefighting left by Rome

Crusades: Order of Saint John of Hospitaliers

• Crusades: Order of Saint John of Hospitaliers

• Dedicated to treatment of battlefield wounds

• Knights of Malta

• Dedicated to saving lives by serving as stretcher-bearers

• Symbol on uniform and shield determined friend or foe

• Red cross worn by Order of Saint John
• Maltese cross worn by Knights of Malta

Fire continued to destroy European cities

• Fire continued to destroy European cities

• Technological advances around the globe not widely available in Europe

• Fire brigade created in China, not copied in Europe

• A.D. 1100 – 1600: English devised fire regulations

• Laws requiring home owners to have ladders, buckets, and barrels of water handy
• Arson a serious crime
• Punishment: to be burned alive

1666: Great Fire of London

• 1666: Great Fire of London

• Community leaders placed emphasis on elimination of conflagration

• Next 200 years: creation of almost all basic fire protection institutions of the modern age

• Organization of fire departments
• Creation of fire insurance industry
• Rise of technology to prevent and combat fires

Early regulations on prohibition of wooden chimneys, limitations on candle-making

• Early regulations on prohibition of wooden chimneys, limitations on candle-making

• Early settlements built of wood; emphasis on prevention

• 1637: firemarks used by insurance companies

• Fires fought by bucket brigades

• Early 1700s Boston designated fire wardens

• 1718: fire societies, era of volunteer firefighter

• 1752: Benjamin Franklin started Philadelphia Contributorship

Fire companies extinguished only the fires of insured buildings

• Fire companies extinguished only the fires of insured buildings

• Volunteer firefighters extinguished any fire

• Fire used as a weapon of war

• 1800 – 1850: better protection, more powerful hand pumpers, development of fire helmet

• Arson became common in mid-1800s

• 1853: first full-time, paid firefighting service

• Steam-powered fire engine replaced hand-pumps

Establishment of paramilitary organizational practices

• Establishment of paramilitary organizational practices

• Firefighters became soldiers in the Civil War

• Most of the country’s experienced firefighters were lost to the war

• Military veterans replaced lost firefighters

• Introduced military rank structure
• Command and control similar to infantry tactics
• Coloration and design of uniforms

• 1873: National Association of Fire Engineers

1870s through 1900: U.S. moved from farming to industry

• 1870s through 1900: U.S. moved from farming to industry

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

• Designed and installed automatic sprinklers
• Standard number 1

• Basic research in fire engineering started in:

• Alarm systems
• Fire hydraulics
• Aerial apparatus
• Steam-powered fire pump

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

• National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU)

• Evaluated level of fire defense in different cities

• Emphasis on fire prevention

• 1920s: firefighter education reform

• Fire Chief Ralph Scott
• Firefighting Bulleting Number 155, series 44, Federal Board of Vocational Education, 1931

Different technology in service simultaneously

• Different technology in service simultaneously

• Pre-World War I stations had both horse-drawn and motorized fire apparatus

• Several pieces of equipment had to be assembled to fight a fire

• Internal combustion combined three apparatus into one

• Advances in ability to reach fire, but not in capacity to fight fire once on the scene

War accelerated need to deal with fire

• War accelerated need to deal with fire

• Fire still a weapon of war

• Research resulted in:

• Indirect attack method
• Improved foams for use in fire service
• Improved personal protective clothing
• Improved fire nozzle technology

• Fire service became more paramilitary

• Other innovations: improved communications (radio), diesel engines

Modernization is a process

• Modernization is a process

• Information half-life: how long it takes for 50% of information to become obsolete

• 1700s about 100 years
• Half-life has decreased with every generation over last 100 years

• Technological obsolescence: any given technology is only useful for a period of time

• Steamers replaced hand-pumpers
• Diesel replaced gasoline

Acceleration of change related to duties of firefighter and agency staffing

• Acceleration of change related to duties of firefighter and agency staffing

• Hazardous materials response
• Search and rescue
• Terrorism incidents

• 1947: National Conference on America’s fire problem (Harry Truman)

• Texas City Disaster: first catastrophic hazardous materials event in America

1960s Johnson Foundation “Wingspread Conference”

• 1960s Johnson Foundation “Wingspread Conference”

• 1970s National Commission on Fire Protection and Control “America Burning”

• United States Fire Administration created
• Incident command system (ICS) created

Twenty-first century:

• Twenty-first century:

• 30,635 fire departments and 1,140,900 firefighters
• Fire department in the U.S. responds to one fire every 20 seconds
• U.S. has fourth highest death rate among industrial nations: one person dies every two hours in a fire

Firefighter’s career is like climbing a ladder

• Firefighter’s career is like climbing a ladder

• We must give due credit to the past

• Future contains difficult challenges and opportunities

• Firefighters must develop skills that did not exist previously

• Motto of the Roman fire brigade “Semper Vigilans”

• “Always Vigilant”