Before there were hoses, and air packs, and helmets and bunkers, fires were fought with nothing more then axes shovels an buckets of water....tons of firefighters were lost every year, but their pride and their commiment were still and saving property and lives were just as important...the ladder companies and engine companies would fight over who was gettin to the fire first, they would even go as far as to sabotage each others equiptment to prove they were the best!! Sometimes they would even result into fist fights while the fire they were supposed to be putting out was burning....
In the early 1920's  horse drawn carraiges were slowly phased out and replaced by the first combustion engines....the changes were amazing although fire depts were proud of their horses, they were trained specially for fires..soon apparatus and equiptment were going through changes, safety was important to fire companies, for their men as well as the lives and property they were saving...here are a few pics of some older engines and equiptment, if you have any to ad, please send them....
When the lord was creating firefighters, on his 6th day of overtime...an angel appeared to him and said your doing alot of fiddling on this one? and the lord said, have you seen the specifications on this one? Firefighters have to be able to go for hours fighting fires, or tending to a person, that the usual every day person, would not touch, while putting in the back of their minds, the circumstances....they have to be able to move at a seconds notice and not think twice about what they do, no matter what the danger. They have to be in top physical condition at all times, eating half eaten meals, they must have 6 pairs of hands.
The angel shook her head an said slowy, 6 pairs of hands? noway.....
Its not the hands that are causing me problems said the Lord, its the 3 pairs of eyes....
Thats the standard model? asked the angel?
The Lord nodded....one pair of eyes to see through the fire, and where they should be next..Another pair, here inside their head to see their fellow firefighters and keep them safe, and another to look for their victims caught in the fire that need their help...
Lord said that angel touching his sleeve, rest tonight an work on this tomorrow? I can't said the Lord, I already have a model that can carry a 250 pound man down a flight of stairs, to safety and can feed a family on a civil service check...
Is this the standard model asked the angel?
You bet said the Lord, it can tell you the elements of a 100 different fires, it can tell you many ways to keep a person safe until they reach the hospital, and they all have to keep their wits about them. They have to be able to control and keep control in all situations, they can deal with a scene full of pain, and coax a frightend mother into letting them have her child for care..and this still rarely get recognition from anyone cept their fellow firefighters..Finall the angel bent over, and said Lord there is a tear? whats the tear for? The Lord said its for all the pain they keep bottled inside, for all the fallen comrades, for the suffering they will endure, and for commiment and careing, and the angel said Lord that was ingenius, and the Lord replied, I didnt put it there.....
1936 ladder truck
1912 Robinson detroit engine
old hose reel pull cart
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