The first organized fire fighting force that can be traced, was established in Rome by Augustus Caesar around 23 BC. They were organized much in the same way as many fire departments of modern time are, in that the organization was created as the result of a major fire with disastrous results.

How long have firefighters been around?

First attempts at firefighting can be traced as far back as the 2nd century. It was then that an Egyptian from Alexandria named Ctesibus built a basic hand pump that could squirt a jet of water, but the idea was lost until the fire pump was reinvented about AD 1500.

When did firefighting start in the US?

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. New Amsterdam established the colonies' first firefighting system in 1647.