Fire department is one of the most important organizations in a community. Every year, fires kill thousands of people, injure thousands more, and destroy billions of dollars worth of property. The firefighters who work for fire departments risk their lives to save people and protect property from fires. Firefighters battle fires that break out in homes, factories, office buildings, stores, forests, and many other places.
Fire department members strive just as hard to prevent fires as they do to put them out. They inspect buildings to enforce fire safety laws. They conduct safety programs about smoke detectors. They teach people about possible fire dangers in their homes and places of work.
The men and women who work for fire departments also help people who are involved in emergencies other than fires. For example, firefighters rescue people who may be trapped in cars, planes, or trains after a crash. They aid victims of such emergencies as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. They also help victims of terrorist actions, such as bombings.
The work of a fire department
Firefighting.
A fire department is sometimes called a fire brigade. Smaller units within a brigade, or department, are sometimes called companies.
The two basic units of most fire departments are engine companies and ladder companies. Engine companies operate large trucks called engines that carry a water pump and hoses to direct water onto a fire. Ladder companies operate large trucks that carry a variety of ladders of different sizes and lengths. Some ladder trucks also have a ladder or platform that can be extended to higher floors. This allows firefighters to reach people and fires on those floors. Both engines and ladder trucks carry many tools and pieces of equipment for fighting fires, as well as rescue equipment. At a fire or emergency, both the engine and ladder companies work together under the direction of an officer of the department.
After the fire department is notified of an alarm, the engine and ladder companies drive to the location of the emergency. They often arrive within minutes of receiving the alarm. The first officer that arrives sizes up the fire and then directs the firefighters into action. Their first task is to search for and rescue people who are trapped by the fire. Their next task is to put out the fire as quickly and safely as possible. They must also stop the fire from spreading to the surrounding buildings. This last step is called protecting exposures.
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In most city locations, engine companies depend on fire hydrants to get the water they need to fight a fire. A firefighter connects a hose from the nearest fire hydrant to the engine. Firefighters then stretch hoses from the engine toward the fire. The engine pumps water through the connected hoses under pressure. The pressurized water allows firefighters to direct their hose streams on the fire and put it out.
Ladder company members sometimes break windows and cut holes in the roof of the structure to allow the gases, smoke, and heat to escape. This process is called ventilation. If a building is not ventilated, the heat and pressure from the gases created by the fire can overcome the firefighters inside and they could be hurt or killed. Ventilation also reduces the chance of the gases in the burning building exploding.
After the fire is put out and all the people who were rescued have been treated, the firefighters work at salvage and overhaul. Salvage involves moving or covering any property or valuables in the building to prevent, or at least significantly reduce, smoke and water damage.
As a final step, firefighters perform overhaul operations. They check the building for evidence of a fire’s cause and search for remaining heat or smoldering material that may cause a fire to flare up. Such a fire is known as a rekindle.
Emergency rescue operations.
Many fire departments have rescue companies that respond to nonfire emergencies. For example, rescue workers may be called to free people trapped under the wreckage of a fallen building or in a car after an accident. Rescue teams have special equipment to cut open walls, doors, and vehicles so they can safely remove the injured. Then victims can be taken to the hospital for more advanced treatment and care. Many large fire departments also have specialized teams to rescue people who are stranded underwater or in swift-flowing water, or on cliffs or other high places. 
Rescue companies may also go to major fires. At a building fire, for example, the rescue workers help the ladder company get people out of the building. They give first aid to people overcome by smoke or suffering from burns.
Emergency medical operations.
A large number of fire departments provide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as part of their operations. EMS units operate ambulances and provide initial emergency medical care for the ill and injured. The levels and types of EMS workers depend upon the state or region in which they serve. First responders and basic- and intermediate-level emergency medical technicians (EMT’s) may provide a wide range of intermediate care from first aid to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), depending on their level of training. Paramedics are the most highly trained EMS workers and may use more complex equipment and procedures to provide advanced life support. In the United States, EMS workers must pass exams to be licensed by the state in which they work. See Emergency medical services; Paramedic. 
Additional operations.
Specialized companies are formed to fight specific types of fires. For example, fireboat companies are common in ports where there are many ships. Fireboats pump water from the lake or ocean they sail on and create a pressurized stream to put out fires. These boats can pump thousands of gallons per minute.
Brush companies put out grass fires and fires in wildland areas (places with land in its natural state). These companies also protect buildings in such areas. Such companies might include _smoke jumpers—_firefighters who parachute from airplanes into burning wildlands to fight fires. Forest fires can be difficult to fight. Brush companies often fight such fires from the air, using helicopters and airplanes to drop tanks of water or fire retardant on a fire. 
Fire cause and arson investigations
are conducted by fire departments in cooperation with local or state law enforcement agencies. When investigating a fire, a fire department is first concerned with what caused the fire. Whether or not a crime was committed is a secondary consideration. The most common crime in fire investigations is arson—the crime of purposely setting fire to a building or other property. See Arson .
Fire prevention and fire safety.
To help prevent fires and reduce fire losses, local fire departments inspect public buildings. They also teach people about fire safety. Many fire departments have a separate division that handles fire prevention and fire safety programs.
Public building inspections.
Most cities have a fire safety code that applies to a wide range of buildings, including apartments, hospitals, schools, day-care centers, department stores, and factories. These codes include a variety of requirements. For example, they specify what materials should be used to construct buildings and how and where sprinklers and fire alarm systems should be installed. They also set requirements for where exit signs and exits should be located and how large exit signs should be. In addition, they specify where and how fire extinguishers and safety lighting systems should be installed.
Fire department officials inspect public buildings to enforce the local code. The officials check the operating condition of the fire protection systems, such as alarms. They note the number and location of exits and fire extinguishers. The inspection also covers housekeeping practices and many other matters that affect fire safety. Fire department inspectors may also review plans for a new building to make sure it meets the safety code.
Public education programs.
Because a large number of people die in home fires, home fire safety is an important issue for fire departments. Many home fires are caused by leaving the kitchen when food is cooking, disposing of cigarettes improperly, misusing portable heating equipment, and placing flammable or combustible items too close to heat sources. Many fire departments work with other local agencies to teach people how to prevent fires and what to do during a fire. See the table What to do in case of fire in this article.
Fire departments urge people to install smoke alarms in their homes. Smoke alarms detect smoke at the start of a fire. They sound a loud buzzer that warns people to leave immediately. Smoke alarms are attached to the ceilings or walls. At least one working smoke alarm should be installed in each level of a home, typically near sleeping areas. See Smoke alarm.
Fire departments also encourage people to install residential fire sprinkler systems in their homes. Sprinklers may extinguish and contain a fire until the fire department can arrive.
Fire department equipment and resources
Fire departments have many resources and kinds of equipment to help them fight fires. Some key elements include the dispatch and communication centers, water supply systems, and the trucks and special fire vehicles used by departments. In addition, the firefighters themselves require special protective clothing that is an important part of fire equipment. 
Dispatch and communication centers
are where most emergency calls are first answered. Dispatchers send fire, police, and EMS vehicles to an emergency as needed. Emergency vehicles have radios that allow them to communicate with the dispatch center.
The emergency number for reaching a dispatcher in the United States and Canada is usually 9-1-1. In the United Kingdom, it is 9-9-9; in Australia, it is 0-0-0; and in New Zealand, it is 1-1-1. After reaching an emergency number, callers should inform the emergency dispatcher of their location. This is especially important when calling from a cell phone. Callers should also tell the dispatcher what type of emergency they are calling about. Callers should answer the dispatcher’s questions as carefully as possible. No one should hang up on an emergency call until the dispatcher instructs the caller to do so.
Water systems
used for firefighting in cities and towns are normally made up of fire hydrants and water pipes. The pipes that supply hydrants are buried underground throughout the city. Fire departments check hydrants periodically to make sure hydrants are working properly.
Trucks and vehicles.
Many fire departments have several types of fire trucks. The main types are engines (also known as pumpers), ladder trucks, and rescue trucks. There are also several other special fire vehicles. 
Engines
have a large pump that takes water from a fire hydrant or other source. The pump boosts the pressure of the water and forces it through hoses. Engines used for fighting grass or brush fires carry a tank of water and such tools as shovels and rakes.
Ladder trucks.
There are generally two kinds of ladder trucks—aerial ladder trucks and elevating-platform trucks. An aerial ladder truck has a metal extension ladder mounted on a turntable. The ladder can be raised as high as 135 feet (41 meters). An elevating-platform truck has a cagelike platform that can hold several people. The platform is attached to a lifting device that is mounted on a turntable. The lifting device consists of either a hinged boom (long metal arm) or an extendable boom made of several sections that fit inside each other. The boom on the largest trucks can extend 150 feet (46 meters). A built-in hose runs the length of the boom and is used to direct water on a fire. In most cases, a pump in a nearby engine generates the pressure needed to spray the water. Some trucks carry an aerial ladder platform, a combination device that features a platform mounted atop a ladder. 
Ladder trucks are equipped with portable ladders of various types and sizes. They also carry forcible-entry tools. Common forcible-entry tools include axes, power saws, and sledge hammers. These tools allow firefighters use to gain entry into a building and to ventilate it to let out smoke.
Rescue trucks
are enclosed vehicles equipped with many of the same kinds of forcible-entry tools that ladder trucks carry. But rescue trucks also carry additional equipment for unusual rescues. Such tools include blowtorches for cutting through metal. Jacks that use hydraulics (pressurized liquid for power) to lift heavy objects are also common on rescue trucks. 
Rescue trucks may also carry other hydraulic tools. With a hydraulic tool commonly known by the trade name Jaws of Life, firefighters can apply a large amount of pressure to two objects to squeeze them together or pry them apart. The tool is often used to free people trapped in vehicles after an accident. Rescue trucks also carry small hand tools, such as crowbars and saws, as well as ropes and harnesses for rescuing people from water or high places. In addition, they carry medical supplies and equipment.
Special fire vehicles
include airport crash trucks and hazmat (hazardous materials) trucks. Airport crash trucks are engines that spray foam or dry chemicals on burning aircraft. Water is ineffective against many aircraft fires, such as those that involve jet fuel.
Many hazmat emergencies involve truck or train wrecks in which a dangerous substance is accidentally spilled. Dangerous materials include pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals, as well as explosives, gasoline, natural gas, and other fuels. Hazmat trucks carry tools to stop gas leaks and supplies to absorb or clean up spills of dangerous liquids or solids. Hazmat trucks may include small laboratories used to analyze hazardous materials at the site. These trucks may also carry computers and high-tech communications equipment in order to consult with experts and authorities about hazmat emergencies. 
Protective clothing.
Firefighters require special clothing for protection against flames, smoke, falling objects, and other hazards. They wear clothing made of fire-resistant material. Other protective clothing includes special boots and gloves. Firefighters wear helmets designed to protect their head from heat and from falling objects. They also use breathing equipment to avoid inhaling smoke and toxic gases. The equipment consists of a face piece connected to a small air tank strapped on the firefighter’s back.
Hazmat trucks may carry suits to protect firefighters from dangerous chemicals. Such one-piece suits cover everything the firefighter wears, including footwear and breathing equipment.
History
Fire protection in Europe.
One of the earliest firefighting organizations was established in ancient Rome. Augustus, who became emperor of Rome in 27 B.C., formed a group called the Vigiles in A.D. 6. The Vigiles patrolled the streets to watch for and fight fires. To put out a fire, the Vigiles formed lines called bucket brigades to pass buckets of water from nearby wells or fountains. Another row of workers passed back the empty buckets.
Scholars know little else about the development of firefighting organizations in Europe until after the Great Fire of London, which occurred in 1666. At that time, most London houses were made of wood and pitch (tar) and roofed with thatch. Houses were also closely crowded together. The Great Fire spread quickly through London and reached riverside warehouses and wharves on the River Thames. These buildings held highly flammable materials, including oil, timber, and coal. The citizen firefighting brigades had little success in containing the fire with their buckets of water from the river. The Great Fire burned for about five days, destroyed much of the city, and left thousands of people homeless.
Before the fire, London had no organized fire protection system. After the fire, insurance companies in the city formed private fire brigades to protect their clients’ property. Insurance company brigades would fight fires only at buildings the company insured. A sign identified these buildings.
Experts often credit the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte with creating the first professional fire department to serve the community and not just subscribers. In 1801, Napoleon began making the Paris fire department a more military-type force. He expanded and improved this force, known as the Sapeurs-Pompiers, after he witnessed a fire in 1810 at which the group was ineffective.
Fire protection in North America.
When colonists came to North America in the 1600’s, they brought their countries’ building construction and firefighting methods with them. Fire protection in North America developed within a tradition of communities helping themselves. Citizens organized volunteer fire companies, even in the largest cities. Volunteer fire departments are staffed by people who serve part time. When a fire breaks out, the volunteers leave their jobs or homes and go to the fire station. They pick up their equipment there and take it to the emergency.
Early fire services.
In New Netherland, a Dutch colony in the area of present-day New York, governor Peter Stuyvesant established a fire prevention system in 1648. He appointed four fire wardens to inspect homes and check chimneys for fire hazards. In 1658, he began one of the first community fire alarm systems. He appointed men to patrol the streets at night and watch for fires. These men were called the rattle watch because they shook wooden rattles to alert the people when a fire was discovered. The rattle watch then helped organize bucket brigades. A few other colonial cities also had such a fire watch system.
As early as 1678, Boston had some firefighting equipment. A paid crew maintained the equipment and responded to fires.
The 1700’s.
By the early 1700’s, Boston had organizations resembling firefighting “clubs,” known as “Mutual Fire Societies.” Such societies aided only members.
The American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin helped create one of the first American fire departments. He established it in Philadelphia about 1736. His company began as a club for protecting one another’s homes in the event of a fire. But it soon became a fire brigade that would protect the entire community. Actual fire companies and departments were also active in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia in the 1700’s.
The first fire safety regulations in Canada were adopted in 1734 in Montreal and Quebec, which were then ruled by France. In 1763, Montreal established the first firefighting organization in Canada, called the Fire Club.
Fire companies in North America acquired their first practical fire pumps, which were made in Europe, in the mid-1700’s. Firefighters had to fill the pumps with pails of water and operate and haul them by hand. However, the pumps enabled crews to fight a fire by shooting a steady stream of water from a safe distance.
The 1800’s.
By the early 1800’s, most U.S. and Canadian cities and towns had volunteer fire companies. The companies required large numbers of volunteers to haul the hand pumps and hose carts to fires. In many cities, prominent citizens belonged to the volunteer companies, which became powerful social and political organizations.
By the mid-1800’s, volunteer fire departments in larger cities in the United States had reached their peak. They were well organized and, for the most part, effective firefighting forces. But the numerous fire companies competed against each other, sometimes violently. In addition, many were unwilling to adopt the new technology of the steam engine, which was beginning to replace hand pumps. Steam-powered pumping engines pulled by horses required fewer people to operate them. This resistance to change and pressure from insurance companies and influential citizens eventually led to the end of the volunteer system in large cities. 
In 1853, Cincinnati instituted the first professional fire department in the United States. New York City followed in 1865 and Philadelphia in 1871. A professional department did not guarantee that major fires could be quickly and successfully controlled. Devastating fires occurred in Chicago in 1871, in Boston in 1872, in Baltimore in 1904, and in San Francisco in 1906. Nevertheless, professional departments did offer the advantages of a constant labor force, modern equipment, and greater discipline and efficiency. See Chicago Fire; San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
The 1900’s.
From 1910 to 1930, gasoline-powered vehicles replaced horse-drawn fire engines. Some of these early engines, though propelled by a gas engine, still used steam to power their pumps.
In the 1970’s, fire departments began to put greater emphasis on preventing fires and educating the public about fire safety. In 1974, the U.S. government established the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration in the Department of Commerce. The agency became the United States Fire Administration (USFA) in 1978. The USFA is now part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the Department of Homeland Security. The USFA works to improve fire prevention and education, firefighting technology, and firefighter health and safety. It also operates the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The academy administers training programs for firefighters and others who work in the field of fire prevention and control.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s, fire departments became more involved in providing emergency medical care, highway accident rescue, hazardous materials handling, and other emergency services. The change of focus coincided with a reduction in the number and size of fires. This reduction resulted from improved public education and better fire safety codes.
Recent developments.
The attack on the United States by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, had a major impact on fire safety. More than 300 New York City firefighters and paramedics died in the collapse of the World Trade Center on that day. The September 11 attacks led to the greatest loss of life ever experienced by a department in a single day.
The threat of terrorist attacks in the 2000’s created new challenges for firefighters. Firefighters received training in how to work with biological hazards, such as infectious diseases used as weapons. They also trained for events that would create huge numbers of casualties. Departments also invested in communication equipment that allowed them to contact other agencies, such as police departments, in catastrophic attacks.
By the early 2010’s, safety experts noted an urgent need for new firefighting tactics. Many believed that traditional tactics, such as ventilation, may no longer be the safest way to fight fires. New research has shown that the ventilation method not only makes fires burn faster, but it also leaves firefighters less time for rescuing people trapped in the fire. In addition, the use of highly flammable synthetic materials in modern furnishings and home construction causes fires to burn faster and hotter. For these reasons, firefighters must fight fires much faster to save lives and reduce fire losses. These developments have prompted some fire departments to reconsider their firefighting techniques for the first time in decades. Loading the player...
Firefighters in action
Careers
The requirements for becoming a paid firefighter vary from one fire department to another. In general, an applicant must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or its equivalent. Some departments will not accept candidates above a certain age, such as 30 or 35. Applicants must be in excellent physical and mental condition.
Some departments require beginning firefighters to have already taken courses or hold certification as an emergency medical technician (EMT) or firefighter. It is an advantage for applicants to have studied fire science or fire engineering at a college or university as well.
After being accepted by a fire department, a trial firefighter takes a training program that may last weeks or months. The program covers such subjects as fire behavior, firefighting strategy, forcible-entry rescue techniques, and emergency medical skills. The entire trial period usually lasts one year. After this period, a firefighter may receive more advanced training in such areas as rescue work and fire prevention.
