|
INFORMATION | ARTICLES |
SAESI History - Fire from the Early Ages
|
Fire existed long before primitive man made the discovery that it was a faithful and comforting servant if confined, but a raging demon if left unchecked. It was dutiful when used to provide warmth and light, and when utilized for cooking or to keep prowling animals at bay, but if uncontrolled, it could kill, maim and scar as well as destroying the habitat, food source and meager possessions of early man.
In time however, the use of fire became more common-place both domestically and in manufacture and with the development of more established communities, the risk of uncontrolled fires escalated bringing with it the need for better and more efficient means of combating fire.
The first form of fire service developed about 500 BC when the Romans organized squads of men to combat outbreaks of fire. Named Familia Publica, the first fire fighters were slaves and under the command of the city’s magistrates. By 300 BC, the Romans were making extensive use of pumps for the portage of water but all trace of this equipment was lost with the defeat of Rome and the end of her civilization.
During the middle ages, as lawlessness prevailed, little thought was given to fire protection until the 1500’s when the fire squirt was introduced. A larger format of the hand-held device was constructed upon wheels but due to its weight and cumbersome design, the degree of its efficiency is unknown. In1672, the invention of a flexible hose was a major breakthrough which lead to the design of a new fire engine.
|
 |
The Great Fire of London, which led to the establishment of the fire insurance industry in 1666, was also responsible for the first Building Act which covered a comprehensive code of building regulations. Although only six people perished in the blaze, five sixths of the city lay waste and over 100 000 were homeless. A further Act, which required high-risk premises to provide fire-fighting equipment and follow certain practices, led to the establishment of The Fire Office, and ultimately The London Fire Engine Establishment which had 80 full-time firemen and nineteen stations.
|
| The London Fire Brigade, so named in 1904, was to exert a profound influence on the fledgling South African fire services and many of the early fire offices were recruited from Great Britain. During the 19th Century a strong volunteer system emerged but efficiency varied widely.
Meanwhile, the Fire Services Associations, formed for the sharing of ideas, of knowledge and whenever possible, of fire-fighting itself had emerged. The first of these, the Midlands Fire Brigades Association, was established in 1882.
NEXT : THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRE ENGINE (March 2005)
|
|
|
