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HISTORY OF THE FDNY

History of the FDNY of New York City Fire Department is known as "The Greatest Job in the World. People all over New York and the rest of the country are captivated by the idea of a NYC fire fighter. They represent New York's bravest, receiving a lot respect, and celebrity like praise. The department is full of history, and ties in with the creation of New York City itself. Tradition is what the FDNY is about. Everything that is done today, was done so in the past, and transferred by word of mouth to future generations of fire fighting, in the hopes that they too will pass on invaluable information to protect New York City and the people living within it. Organized fire fighting dates back as far as the mid 1600's.

European settlement on the island of Manhattan began with a blaze in 1613 when a Dutch ship caught on fire and stranded its crew on what was to become New York City. The settlement grew in tremendous size. Things improved under Peter Stuyvesant, who passed the first fire ordinances in 1648. Restrictions were placed on building materials and locations. Fines were issued for dirty and dangerous chimneys. Building fires, no matter how they began, resulted in larger fines. Fire wardens were appointed to inspect the chimneys; the money collected from fines went towards the buckets, hooks, and ladders that were the firefighting equipment of the day. (Coe 90)

In 1658, the city established its first fire company, the "prowlers" or the "rattle-watch". They would take turns patrolling the streets, sun down to sun up, watching for any signs of fire. Upon spotting a fire, they would create a loud racket by swinging their rattles, and run for the buckets. Everyone was expected to come out and help. The British maintained the fire regulations of the Dutch when they took over in 1664 and renamed the city New York.. Buckets remained the sole means of getting water on a fire until 1731. New York imported its first two fire engines from Richard Newsham of England in 1731 They were made of wood with a pump that was operated in a see-saw fashion. Small and heavy the engines were pulled by men to fires. The first engines had no suction hose and had to be filled with buckets. The engines were housed in two shacks near City Hall and creatively named Engine 1 and Engine 2. (Coe 96-98)

In 1737 the Volunteer Department of the City of New York was established with an act calling for "the appointment of able, discreet, and sober men who shall be known as Firemen of the City of New York, to be ready for service by night and by day and be diligent, industrious and vigilant." (Golway 101)Firefighting in Brooklyn developed the same way. A volunteer fire fighting force of five men and one captain formed in 1785 when the City of Brooklyn purchased its first engine. Cumbersome and boxy, yet capable of throwing a stream of water 60 feet, the New York manufactured engine was named Washington No. 1.

The department started with 35 members, all respected men from a variety of trades. More members and fire engines were added as the city expanded. By 1784 it consisted of fifteen engine and two ladder companies. In 1798 the department was reorganized as The Fire Department of the City of New York, with the added right to raise money for themselves and for widows and orphans of firefighters. Exempt status was given to firefighters in 1816. Men who served 10 years did not have to sit on a jury or join the military. To encourage men to become firefighters, the term was reduced to seven years in 1829 and to five in 1847. (Coe 47)

One important advancement in the early 19th century was the introduction of hoses, which replaced the fire bucket. The first hoses were stitched along their entire length and were very leaky. In 1808 more water tight leather hoses were introduced. In 1819 the use of buckets at fires officially ended. The city adapted older engines to use hose, and bought new, specially designed hose carts as well. Separate hose companies were formed and joined in the race to fires. As more and more fire companies formed, the race to fires took on a life of its own. The reputation of a company and its members was made and destroyed in these public displays of speed and endurance. For a time the race to fires and the efforts to extinguish them was considered by many a spectator sport. Unfortunately, the competition between fire companies often resulted in fights. At the same time a bond between fire companies within the city and across the country was also developing. Fire companies would visit with one another, often spurring parades to show off their ornately decorated apparatus.(Boucher 126-127)

A central fire bell for New York City was placed in the cupola of City Hall on May 17, 1830. By 1850 the city was divided up into eight fire districts, each with a watch tower and alarm bell.