Firehouse Magazine Celebrates 350 Years Of the U.S. Fire Service

Posted on August 7, 1998

In honor of the 350th anniversary of the American fire service, Firehouse Magazine is publishing a special commemorative September issue saluting the traditions and history of this American institution. In concert with this theme, Firehouse will reproduce on its cover Timeless Heroes, a painting by artist Chas Fagan commissioned by the Congressional Fire Services Institute which depicts, through a montage, a visual history of the fire service from bucket brigade to contemporary firefighter.

The magazine's editorial content will be devoted to the roots and traditions of the fire service, apparatus history, technology and recent advances. It will also devote space to a look back at some of this country's most spectacular fires and the lessons they taught firefighters. "We plan to include coverage of the evolution of fire service apparatus," said Jeff Barrington, executive editor of Firehouse. "We'll show the variations of vehicles including hand-pulled wooden pumpers, horse-drawn fire engines, the beginnings of motorized apparatus as well as the multi-purpose vehicles in use today."

As with technology, the fire service has come a long way from its homespun beginnings. In 1648, Peter Stuyvesant, the governor of New Amsterdam (now New York) established a grassroots fire service in the form of a local bucket brigade. Benjamin Franklin is credited with organizing the first volunteer unit in Philadelphia. The first paid U.S. fire department was established in Cincinnati in the 1850s. Today, there are over 32,000 volunteer, career and combination fire departments in the United States.