Firefighting in the United States
[2] Firefighters in the United States today are organized along paramilitary lines, utilizing modern equipment, and are most often grouped into city or county departments.
The National Fire Protection Association sets and maintains minimum standards and requirements for firefighting duties and equipment.
During the average year between 2008 and 2017, 3,190 civilians died, 16,225 were injured, and property damage reached $14.7 billion dollars.
According to American Red Cross statistics, the annual losses from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters combined in the United States average just a fraction of those from fires.
Additionally, these households are prone to using supplemental heating devices and substandard extension cords that are not Underwriters Laboratories (UL) compliant.
[11][full citation needed] Firefighting in the United States can be traced back to the 17th century when, after a great conflagration in Boston in 1631, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law banning smoking in public places.
In 1711 the concerned Americans formed the so-called mutual fire societies of approximately twenty members each.
Among those who served as volunteer firefighters were George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
[14] In 1818 the first known female firefighter Molly Williams rose to prominence in New York, when she took her place with the men on the drag ropes and pulled the pumper to the fire through the deep snow.
Volunteer firefighters were honored with frequent stanzas in urban newspapers and made the subject of heroizing prints by the popular American printmaking firm Currier & Ives.
[citation needed] Money that was used to help fund the organization was obtained by insurance company payouts from fighting fires.
With few exceptions like in Savannah, Georgia, firefighters denied African Americans the opportunity to join the companies or form their own ones.
[citation needed] As early as 1818 in Philadelphia the local free black community attempted to form the African Fire Association.
In 1800, he patented a hand-pumped engine that was the most powerful in the United States,[16] and he built the first hose wagon in 1804, which eliminated the need for bucket brigades in cities.
[17] Lyon's masterpiece was the hand-pumper Diligent, which, at 32-years-old, outperformed the new Cincinnati-built steam pumper Young America in a famous 1852 contest.
Then in 1859 came the fully paid Fire Force in Indianapolis (IFD) by the guidance and authority of Mayor Samuel Dunn Maxwell going as far as to ban the volunteer departments from the city.
As a proud Norse Celt, he vowed that "Indianapolis will only accept aggressive, paid firemen possessing the bravery and strength of a Highland Warrior and the dedication to battle like the Viking".
343 New York City Fire Department (FDNY) firefighters were killed when the World Trade Center collapsed during the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Heavy Rescue Company Units have a varied number of personnel on board depending on their department and response profile.
This unit has the three items that an engine does -- pump, tank, hose -- but also carries ground ladders and has an aerial device and specialized equipment and tools for certain situations.
Non-sparking tools, generators, tarps and other items are found on a Hazardous Materials Company apparatus.
These units have specialized emergency medical services equipment or firefighting tools to help at certain rescue incidents or fire scenes.
A chief officer vehicle is a command car containing a lower ranking chief officer in command of a subdivision of a department that contains usually around three or more fire stations and companies/units that respond to large fires, mass casualty incidents, and any emergency with more than one unit responding.
These units have specialized equipment to help these members give instructions and provide command and control at certain scenes.
These departments are generally organized as local or county government subsidiaries, special-purpose district entities or not-for-profit corporations.
A small number of U.S. fire departments are privatized, that is, operated by for-profit corporations on behalf of public entities.
Fire departments may also have unsworn or non-uniformed members in non-firefighting capacities such as administration and civilian oversight, e.g., a board of commissioners.
Now, most states require both career and volunteer firefighters to complete a certificate program at a fire academy.
This often includes certifications in Firefighter 1 and 2,[28] as well as Hazardous Materials Awareness & Operations,[29] in accordance with NFPA training standards.
Many variations in insignia systems make use of the voice trumpet, a type of megaphone, and these are frequently referred to as a "bugle."
