I recently went looking for a detailed timeline on the early history of firefighting in the United States. I couldn't find one with enough detail, so I skimmed a bunch of books and a bunch of web sites and created the following. Please add, edit, correct, or debate anything. It's America-centric, alas. And is not annotated with sources.
1608 (or 1607) - First recorded fire in America, Jamestown, VA.
1615 - Crude hand pumps mounted on skids or wheels used in Germany by this time.
1638 - First no-smoking law in America, MA. Due to numerous fires, residents not allowed to smoke tobacco outdoors.
1648 - First fire wardens appointed, New Amsterdam. The four are charged with the responsibility of checking residential chimneys and levying fines as necessary.
1653 - Boston burns, leads to laws requiring all houses having at least one ladder. Also leads to public purchasing of fire equipment.
1654 (or 1653) - First fire engine used in America, Boston.
1657 or soon after - First night watch created, New Amsterdam. Eight men walk the streets after dark, watching for fires and stopping anyone who looks suspicious. They carry rattles to sound a fire alarm.
1658 ? - First fireman in America.
1666 - Great London Fire inspires new firefighting techniques, such as using gunpowder to create fire breaks. Also inspires development of hand-powered piston pumps.
1672 (or 1673) - First fire hose / leather fire hose, Holland. Fifty-foot sections of leather hose stitched together like boot legs. Fifty-foot section lengths remain standard to this day.
1676 or soon after - First state-of-art fire engine in America, Boston. Ordered from England after conflagration in 1876. Replacessmall "ingine" built by local ironmaker.
1678 - First fire engine company organized, Boston.
1725 (or 1721) - First fire engine to throw continuous stream of water patented, England.
1736 - First volunteer fire company in America by Ben Franklin, Philadelphia.
1740 - Felt top hat adopted for firefighting by Jacob Turck, New York. Leather hat has high crown and narrow brim.
1743 - First successful fire engine designed and built in America, New York.
1750, ca - Cash awards for first-arriving fire companies started. Companies begin racing each other to fire scenes.
1752 - First successful fire insurance company founded by Ben Franklin, Philadelphia.
1768 - First American fire engine manufacturing company formed, Philadelphia.
1794 - First protective capes used for firefighting, Philadelphia.
1794 - Philadelphia-style apparatus developed.
1796 - First water main system installed, Boston.
1799 - First hook and ladder truck used, hand-drawn, Philadelphia.
1800 - First fireboat, New York City.
1801 - First post-type hydrant, Philadelphia.
1803 (or 1807) - First hose wagon and hose company, Philadelphia.
1803 - First apparatus gong, Philadelphia.
1803, ca - First apparatus siren, Philadelphia.
1807 - First metal-riveted leather hose, Philadelphia.
1808 - First two-wheel "jumper reel" developed.
1810 - First professional firefighting organization formed, Paris.
1811 - Friendly competition between fire companies begins with formation of second fire company in Philadelphia.
1812 - First four-wheel hose reel.
1817 - Standards for manufacturing of leather hose appear.
1818 - First female firefighter, New York.
1819 - All New York engines retrofitted with suction capabilities, now that strong suction hose is available. No more dumping water into apparatus by hand.
1819 - First booster tank, Boston. Quickly abandoned.
1820 - Savannah, GA burns, 463 buildings.
1821 - Rubber-lined cotton-web fire hose patented, America.
1823 - First firefighter's strike, Boston.
1823 (or 1810) - First apparatus manufactured with suction hose fittings.
1824 - Metal wire framework added to fire helmet.
1828 - Fire helmet redesigned by Henry T. Gratacap with longer rear brim and curved sides, New York.
1828-29 - Steam fire engine invented, London. Not accepted for use in structural firefighting for decades.
1829 - Cincinnati burns, 33 buildings, all of downtown.
1830 - First railroad to evolve into major system. Apparatus can now travel for competitions and mutual aid.
1832 - First fire horse, New York.
1835 - New York burns, $20M, worst urban fire since 1666.
1836 - New York volunteer brawling becomes increasingly violent.
1836 - Fire helmet brim bent downward and metal attached to top edge, New York.
1838 - Charleston burns, $4M damage.
1839 - First insurance patrol, New York.
1839 - Mobile, AL burns. 600 buildings.
1839 - First electric telegraph fire alarm system installed, Boston.
1839 or about - First rubber fire hose.
1840 - Red flannel shirt adopted as fireman's uniform, New York. Later spreads across the country.
1841 - First American steam fire engine, New York, used only a few months.
1845 - Philadelphia burns, 900 buildings.
1847-1854 - 1.6M Irish immigrate following famine, many take to firefighting.
1840s-1850s - First facilities for hanging hose in fire stations.
1848 - Albany burns, 600 buildings.
1849 - St. Louis burns, 430 buildings and 23 steamboats.
1851 - Cincinnati suffers major fire while volunteer firefighters riot. City commissions building of steam engine and organizes salaried department.
1851 - Buffalo, NY burns. 200 buildings.
1851 - Philly burns. 400 buildings.
1852 - First fire box alarm, Boston.
1853 - Cincinnati becomes first fully-paid fire department.
1853 - Cincinnati tests first successful American steam engine.
1857 - Louisville KY and then St. Louis MO become second and third fully-paid fire departments.
1863 - Fire extinguisher patented.
1864 - Chemical fire engine invented, France.
1865 - New York forms fully-paid FD.
1868 - First successful aerial ladder invented by Daniel Hayes, San Francisco.
1870 - Rubber, cotton-covered hose developed.
1870 or so - Red brick architecture begins to dominate municipal buildings.
1870 or so - Isolated residential districts are rare before this time.
1871 - Philadelphia forms fully-paid fire department.
1871 - Quick horse hitch likely invented, Saint Joseph, MO.
1871 - Great Chicago Fire.
1872 - Automatic sprinkler patented, Abington, MA.
1873 - Hanging horse harness invented, Cambridge, MA.
1873 - First iron-hull fire boat, Boston.
1873 - International Association of Fire Engineers holds first convention and adopts standard hose coupling size.
1876 (or 1879) - First water tower developed, consisting of 50-foot mast sections assembled at scene and raised by cranks and gears.
1878 - First fire pole, Chicago, IL.
1878 - Seamless cotton hose appears by this time. The hose is also capable of being packed flat, unlike rubber hose which required rolling on a reel. Hose wagons are developed to transport the new hose.
1880 - First brass fire pole, Worchester, MA.
1882 - Pompier/scaling ladder patented, St. Louis.
1901 (or 1902) - Spring-raise aerial ladder invented by Seagrave, Columbus, OH.
1903 - Iroquois Theater burns, Chicago, spurs new fire inspection laws.
1906 - San Francisco earthquake and fire.
1906 - Motor apparatus appears in America, notably Waterous pumper entering service in Wayne, PA.
1909 - First triple-combination apparatus, built by Tea Tray Company on American Motors chassis and delivered to Middletown, NY.
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1608 (or 1607) - First recorded fire in America, Jamestown, VA.
1615 - Crude hand pumps mounted on skids or wheels used in Germany by this time.
1638 - First no-smoking law in America, MA. Due to numerous fires, residents not allowed to smoke tobacco outdoors.
1648 - First fire wardens appointed, New Amsterdam. The four are charged with the responsibility of checking residential chimneys and levying fines as necessary.
1653 - Boston burns, leads to laws requiring all houses having at least one ladder. Also leads to public purchasing of fire equipment.
1654 (or 1653) - First fire engine used in America, Boston.
1657 or soon after - First night watch created, New Amsterdam. Eight men walk the streets after dark, watching for fires and stopping anyone who looks suspicious. They carry rattles to sound a fire alarm.
1658 ? - First fireman in America.
1666 - Great London Fire inspires new firefighting techniques, such as using gunpowder to create fire breaks. Also inspires development of hand-powered piston pumps.
1672 (or 1673) - First fire hose / leather fire hose, Holland. Fifty-foot sections of leather hose stitched together like boot legs. Fifty-foot section lengths remain standard to this day.
1676 or soon after - First state-of-art fire engine in America, Boston. Ordered from England after conflagration in 1876. Replacessmall "ingine" built by local ironmaker.
1678 - First fire engine company organized, Boston.
1725 (or 1721) - First fire engine to throw continuous stream of water patented, England.
1736 - First volunteer fire company in America by Ben Franklin, Philadelphia.
1740 - Felt top hat adopted for firefighting by Jacob Turck, New York. Leather hat has high crown and narrow brim.
1743 - First successful fire engine designed and built in America, New York.
1750, ca - Cash awards for first-arriving fire companies started. Companies begin racing each other to fire scenes.
1752 - First successful fire insurance company founded by Ben Franklin, Philadelphia.
1768 - First American fire engine manufacturing company formed, Philadelphia.
1794 - First protective capes used for firefighting, Philadelphia.
1794 - Philadelphia-style apparatus developed.
1796 - First water main system installed, Boston.
1799 - First hook and ladder truck used, hand-drawn, Philadelphia.
1800 - First fireboat, New York City.
1801 - First post-type hydrant, Philadelphia.
1803 (or 1807) - First hose wagon and hose company, Philadelphia.
1803 - First apparatus gong, Philadelphia.
1803, ca - First apparatus siren, Philadelphia.
1807 - First metal-riveted leather hose, Philadelphia.
1808 - First two-wheel "jumper reel" developed.
1810 - First professional firefighting organization formed, Paris.
1811 - Friendly competition between fire companies begins with formation of second fire company in Philadelphia.
1812 - First four-wheel hose reel.
1817 - Standards for manufacturing of leather hose appear.
1818 - First female firefighter, New York.
1819 - All New York engines retrofitted with suction capabilities, now that strong suction hose is available. No more dumping water into apparatus by hand.
1819 - First booster tank, Boston. Quickly abandoned.
1820 - Savannah, GA burns, 463 buildings.
1821 - Rubber-lined cotton-web fire hose patented, America.
1823 - First firefighter's strike, Boston.
1823 (or 1810) - First apparatus manufactured with suction hose fittings.
1824 - Metal wire framework added to fire helmet.
1828 - Fire helmet redesigned by Henry T. Gratacap with longer rear brim and curved sides, New York.
1828-29 - Steam fire engine invented, London. Not accepted for use in structural firefighting for decades.
1829 - Cincinnati burns, 33 buildings, all of downtown.
1830 - First railroad to evolve into major system. Apparatus can now travel for competitions and mutual aid.
1832 - First fire horse, New York.
1835 - New York burns, $20M, worst urban fire since 1666.
1836 - New York volunteer brawling becomes increasingly violent.
1836 - Fire helmet brim bent downward and metal attached to top edge, New York.
1838 - Charleston burns, $4M damage.
1839 - First insurance patrol, New York.
1839 - Mobile, AL burns. 600 buildings.
1839 - First electric telegraph fire alarm system installed, Boston.
1839 or about - First rubber fire hose.
1840 - Red flannel shirt adopted as fireman's uniform, New York. Later spreads across the country.
1841 - First American steam fire engine, New York, used only a few months.
1845 - Philadelphia burns, 900 buildings.
1847-1854 - 1.6M Irish immigrate following famine, many take to firefighting.
1840s-1850s - First facilities for hanging hose in fire stations.
1848 - Albany burns, 600 buildings.
1849 - St. Louis burns, 430 buildings and 23 steamboats.
1851 - Cincinnati suffers major fire while volunteer firefighters riot. City commissions building of steam engine and organizes salaried department.
1851 - Buffalo, NY burns. 200 buildings.
1851 - Philly burns. 400 buildings.
1852 - First fire box alarm, Boston.
1853 - Cincinnati becomes first fully-paid fire department.
1853 - Cincinnati tests first successful American steam engine.
1857 - Louisville KY and then St. Louis MO become second and third fully-paid fire departments.
1863 - Fire extinguisher patented.
1864 - Chemical fire engine invented, France.
1865 - New York forms fully-paid FD.
1868 - First successful aerial ladder invented by Daniel Hayes, San Francisco.
1870 - Rubber, cotton-covered hose developed.
1870 or so - Red brick architecture begins to dominate municipal buildings.
1870 or so - Isolated residential districts are rare before this time.
1871 - Philadelphia forms fully-paid fire department.
1871 - Quick horse hitch likely invented, Saint Joseph, MO.
1871 - Great Chicago Fire.
1872 - Automatic sprinkler patented, Abington, MA.
1873 - Hanging horse harness invented, Cambridge, MA.
1873 - First iron-hull fire boat, Boston.
1873 - International Association of Fire Engineers holds first convention and adopts standard hose coupling size.
1876 (or 1879) - First water tower developed, consisting of 50-foot mast sections assembled at scene and raised by cranks and gears.
1878 - First fire pole, Chicago, IL.
1878 - Seamless cotton hose appears by this time. The hose is also capable of being packed flat, unlike rubber hose which required rolling on a reel. Hose wagons are developed to transport the new hose.
1880 - First brass fire pole, Worchester, MA.
1882 - Pompier/scaling ladder patented, St. Louis.
1901 (or 1902) - Spring-raise aerial ladder invented by Seagrave, Columbus, OH.
1903 - Iroquois Theater burns, Chicago, spurs new fire inspection laws.
1906 - San Francisco earthquake and fire.
1906 - Motor apparatus appears in America, notably Waterous pumper entering service in Wayne, PA.
1909 - First triple-combination apparatus, built by Tea Tray Company on American Motors chassis and delivered to Middletown, NY.
mjl
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