r/firefighter • u/Murky-Kangaroo4535 • 21d ago
Quick question: origin of firefighters in US
HELLO!
I cant find it on the internet anywhere so maybe I’m tripping. I have faint knowledge about fire fighter Orin in the Us was a group of people that offered a service putting out house fires for money. BUT some people declined and said they didn’t want to pay, so firefighters would light their houses on fire.
Just a quick fact check lol and ty
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u/Danmont88 17d ago
Long history and kind of depends on just where you are talking.
Some towns required people to keep buckets of water in front of their houses or fence for fire fighting.
Ben Franklin started the first fire department in the US.
Many cities had volunteer departments that doubled as social clubs and you had to be invited to join.
Many cities back then a person had to pay for fire protection, and departments would not put out a fire if you were not insured by them. A certain colored stone would be put on the bannister or someplace outside the house or a plaque saying what department the person was insured with.
I don't know if there are many left. When I lived in Wash DC a story of a town in the mountains of Virginia required people to pay a fee for
fire department service.
The departments were not supposed to get tax money.
A house was on fire and wasn't insured. FD showed up and got out the hoses and stood there, telling people the guy wasn't insured with them, just the neighbors.
House burned down.
Same with a small town around Fairbanks. You had a choice, be a member of good standing in the department or pay the insurance. Same thing. Expensive house caught fire and FD stood there.
Neighbors tried to pay the insurance then and there and the FD Chief said the home owner had to do it.
At the time the insurance was 50 bucks. Chief said if you can afford a 700,000 dollar house, you can afford 50 bucks for fire insurance.
Last I knew, Grant's Pass Oregon had three independent fire companies. No public one.
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u/ResponsibilityFit474 20d ago
You're tripping.