HISTORY OF FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT

The first known firefighting comes from ancient Egypt. They used kind of machinery to put out the fire. Than around 300 years BC Ctesibius from Alexandria made first firefighting pump. First version of firefighting pump was improved by Hero of Alexandria in the 1st century BC and made famous by Romans.

Two Piston Machine for continuous flow of water for fire extinction, probably a work of Ctesibius (c. 250 BC) that Hero improved.

Rome was made of wooden, few stories high buildings and very often had trapped people in the fire. 

First firefighters in Rome were group of slaves called Familia Publica. You can imagine how eager and fast they were to put out the fire. 

Because of that a man known by name Crassus was the first person who established a fire brigade which was composed of 500 men. He was an excellent businessman. It’s recorded if house was caught by fire he would come with his men and ask the owner to sell the house. If owner of the house would say no, Crassus men would just stand and watch house burn. The price of the house would go down with the time and finally if owner would say yes firefighters would start doing their job.

After quarter of Rome burned down 6 years BC, Emperor Augustus established the world’s first professional fire-brigade called Vigiles.  Vigiles were firefighting groups made of 7000 free men. After some time everybody wanted to be part of Vigiles as they were promised to receive Roman Citizenship after 6 years of service and had a lot of privileges. Vigiles also patrolled the streets with the authority to impose corporal punishment upon those who violated fire prevention codes. It’s said that they had the best fire watch with minimum rate of fires around the city, except during Neron’s time. Neron probably ordered Viliges to stay on the side during setting fire around Rome.

The end of Roman Empire was the end of firefighting pump which was forgotten until the end of 15th century.

TM