A historical repository for the North American Fire Service

Timeline - 1600 to 1700 | 1701 to 1800 | 1801 to 1900 | 1901 to 2000 | 2001 to present day

San Francisco, CA

July 18th, 1967. San Francisco FF's battle a multi alarm fire at the corner of California and Divisadero Blvd's at the Simon Brother's Market.

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San Jose, CA

June 7th, 1965: San Jose FF's fight a large 2 alarm fire at the Crest Theater. The fire gutted the building.

San Francisco, CA

May 17th, 1939: San Francisco FF's vent a roof on a multi-story dwelling at the corner of Pacific and Franklin Streets.

San Francisco, CA

October 16th, 1964: San Francisco's Bravest fight a fire at 4871 Mission St.

San Francisco, CA

August 4th, 1964: San Francisco FF's battle a large blaze at the corner of Front and Clay Streets. The 4 story vacant building was leveled by the fire.

San Francisco, CA

March 29th, 1943: FF's battle a large fire into a building at 3840 Eighteenth Street. Despite all efforts the building was completely destroyed.

Maltese Cross and Firefighters

Dalmatians and the Fire Service

St. Florian, FF's Patron Saint

How the FDNY got it's name

The History of the IAFF

History of the Fire Mark

• Oldest Continuous Fire Departments

- Boston Fire Dept. - Boston, MA - 1678

- Relief Fire Co.1 - Mt. Holly, NJ - 1752

- Haddon Fire Co.1 - Haddonfield, NJ - 1764

• Oldest Continuous Fire Stations

- Washington Fire Co.2 - Madison, IN - 1848

- Bristol Fire Co. - Bristol, PA - 1857

- Engine Co.7 - Louisville, KY - 1871

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• Who had the first motorized department

- Larue Fire Dept. - Larue, OH - 1905

- Thompsonville Fire Dept. - Enfield, CT - 1906

- Radnor Fire Co. - Wayne, PA - 1906

• On Site

- Cherry Valley, NY Fire Department

- Savannah, GA Fire Department

- Black Firefighters in Savannah, GA

• Off Site

- Boston, MA Fire Department

- Buffalo, NY Fire Department

- Chicago, IL Fire Department

- Cincinnati, OH Fire Department

- Los Angeles, CA Fire Department

- New York, NY Fire Department site 1

- New York, NY Fire Department site 2

- Newark, NJ Fire Department

- San Francisco, CA Fire Department

• William Noonan

- Boston's 1906 American LaFrance

• Paul Hashagen

- Seneca Larke and the Equitable Fire

- Firefighting in Colonial America

- The New World's First Fire Wardens

- The Development of Breathing Apparatus

- The Development of Fire Hose

- The Evolution of Fireground Command

• Dr. Harry Carter

- Fire Disasters: What Have We Learned?

• John A. Calderone

- Fire Apparatus: Past and Present

- The Great Chicago Fire - Oct. 8th, 1871

- The Peshtigo Fire - Oct. 8th, 1871

- The Great Baltimore Fire - Feb. 7th, 1904

- The Halifax Explosion - Dec. 6th, 1917

- The Cocoanut Grove Fire - Nov. 28th, 1942

- Texas City Disaster - April 16th, 1947

- Our Lady of Angels Fire - Dec. 1st, 1958

- MGM Grand Fire - Nov. 21st, 1980

- Indianapolis, IN - 13 FF's - March 17th, 1890

- Indianapolis, IN - 2 FF's - Dec. 18th, 1944

- Indianapolis, IN - 2 FF's - Jan. 13th, 1973

- Indianapolis, IN - 2 FF's - Feb. 15th, 1992

- Chicago, IL - 12 FF's - July 10th, 1893

- Hackensack, NJ - 5 FF's - July. 1st, 1988

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Columbia SC Fire History Chief Jack Jansen	The Last Alarm Urbanowicz, Boucher and Melahn, Jr.

American Fire Engine Manufacturers Walt McCall	Flames and Faces William Noonan
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