page_title: Firefighting in the United States
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Firefighting in the United States / History
caption_attribution_description: "Volunteer Firemen’s Parade, March 4th 1872". Painting Paul Poincy and Victor Pierson depicting volunteer firemen on Canal Street in New Orleans. Oil on canvas. The view is looking upriver from the corner of Canal &amp; Royal Street, towards lower end of St. Charles with the statue of Henry Clay seen. "The New Orleans Republican" in February 1873 gave this description of details: "At the right, Emile Lamaire leans forward from his stallion, to converse with some of the down-town boys who surround him. There is Bill Swan, with his silver hat, Louis A. Wiltz, and Bob Brewster, president and foreman of No. 9 . . . Among the aides to the grand marshall, Joe Horner, the orator of the day, covers one flank, while Badger, the Metropolitan Chief of Police, wearing for the time being the blue scarf of No. 6, sits on his horse at the left of the group. About the center, Charley Howard has lifted his hat to salute some ladies beyond. Jim Wingfield stands looking up at Tyler’s clock, anxious for the procession to form and Judge Braughn sits in the saddle complacently indifferent to flying time."
context_page_description: Firefighting in the United States dates back to the earliest European Colonies in the Americas. Early firefighters were simply community members who would respond to neighborhood fires with a bucket. The first dedicated volunteer fire brigade was established in 1736 in Philadelphia. These volunteer companies were often paid by insurance companies in return for protecting their clients.
  As cities grew this method became unreliable, and the first professional fire department was established in Cincinnati in 1853. By the 20th century fire departments were forced to adapt to more modern hazards and dangers, such as high rise and hazardous material fires. They also began to expand their services to include other, non-fire, public safety needs including vehicle rescue and EMS service. As of 2018, 62% of fire departments offered some form of emergency medical response.
  Firefighters in the United States today are organized along paramilitary lines, and are most often grouped into city or county departments.
context_section_description: Firefighting in the United States can be traced back to the 17th century when, after a great conflagration in Boston in 1631, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law banning smoking in public places.
  New Amsterdam established the colonies' first firefighting system in 1647. Fire wardens inspected the houses and chimneys, fining for potential hazard. An eight-man team called a rattle watch patrolled the streets at night. When a fire was detected, they shook wooden rattles to alert townspeople. In 1711 the concerned Americans formed the so-called mutual fire societies of approximately twenty members each. When fire struck a society member, other members rushed for assistance. The first water-pumping engines were imported to New York in the 1730s.
caption: Volunteer Firemen's Parade, March 4th 1872 in New Orleans around the statue of Henry Clay. Painting by Victor Pierson and Paul E. Poincy.
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