I love fire trucks and my goodness I jumped for joy when I saw one on a local car lot. I confess that I would love to afford to buy one of these pieces of history. However, that bucket list item may be another item that goes unchecked. My mind always goes to the history that these machines have seen during their long duty.
Talking history... The law in America prior to the development of the fire department was for any home featuring a hearth to keep a bucket of water on-hand. Fortunately, founding father Benjamin Franklin organized the first emergency fire company in 1737. Original fire engines were large water tanks on horse drawn wagons which were operated by hand to pump water out of a long, malleable spigot. Several men would use brute strength to create a strong stream of water by pumping long levers on either side of the tank to mechanically expel the water. By 1905, the use of a motorized fire engine was proposed by Popular Mechanics (the actual same organization who produces the magazine with which we are familiar today). The first fire truck was manufactured in Springfield, Massachusetts by the Knox Automobile Company in 1906. This prototype included ladders, lanterns, sirens, etc. Firefighters would stand on the running boards, holding tightly to the side of the truck as the vehicle wove through the streets to the site of the fire.
The fire department servicing modern society does more than put out house fires or climb trees to rescue frightened cats . They also use their bright lights on a road surface to clean a hazardous waste spill or to illuminate an isolated area on a car in order to use specialized equipment to rescue passengers from a car wreck. Firefighters are trained to handle air-bag deployments and potential explosions.
The modern trucked will have a grand story in their retirement years as well.
Still a history of nerd...
Nana
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