Firefighters are among the most courageous and fearless people who choose to do the field that could get them killed at any time of the day, as opposed to an average, safe desk job.
People who decide to become firefighters aren’t typical. They are exceptional, and here are eight facts I’m betting you didn’t know about firefighters and the history of firefighting.
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Facts About Firefighters
- Do you realize that around 100 firefighters a year are detained for starting fires? There are arsonists who are serially arrested and choose to be firefighters. They are the last people you’d be expecting to set off the flames. They engage in this activity for cash or for the thrill instead of having an actual psychological problem.
- Benjamin Franklin is responsible for the first firefighter company established in Philadelphia. The firefighters were often referred to by the name Ben Franklin’s Bucket Brigade. They met monthly for discussions on different methods to combat fires.
- A firefighter requires 100 hours of education before being legally allowed to enter the burning structure.
- What is the time firefighters will take to dress? It’s less than 2 minutes! This includes all their equipment, which can weigh anywhere from eighty to one hundred and twenty pounds.
- From 1603 to 1867, Japanese firefighters tackled fires in a “different” style. They soaked themselves in hoses to be less than flammable (causing them to wear uniforms weighing as much as 75lbs). They used hooks attached to poles to try and draw the structures back and put out the flame. They believed that preventing the spread of the fire was more crucial than the preservation of the structure that was burning. Just five percent of reported fires in Japan over the centuries ended in deaths, presumably proving their strategies.
- Did you know the reasons why dalmatians were the dogs of choice for firefighters? This was because dalmatians were able to get to be good companions for horses (back when the days were simpler, firefighters would use horse-drawn vehicles). They were skilled at protecting the vehicle and other equipment when firefighters were completing their tasks, as well as being able to walk along with their vehicles for long times. In modern times, the dalmatian can now shift its role to become more of a companion (obviously because of the technological advances in the past).
- Molly Williams was the first female to be recorded as an official firefighter role at New York City in 1815. She was also among the very first African Americans to serve as an official firefighter. Unfortunately, her status was that of a slave of Benjamin Aymar, who was involved in the Oceanus Engine Company #11. The blizzard of 1818 There were only a few male firefighters on the job because of influenza. Molly was the first to step up and did all the work herself, pushing through the snow and carrying the fire pump for emergencies. The majority of firefighters today are men (women make up only 4% of all firefighters).
- It would seem it’s the only way to kill firefighters is by fire, would you? Wrong. The most common cause of death for firefighters is a heart attack. More than a 45percent of firefighters who die working suffer from heart problems. Firefighters are more likely to suffer heart attacks while putting out fires than when they perform duties that are not connected to emergencies.
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Did you have any firefighter facts? Which one of them did you find the most surprising to discover? Let us know in the comments section below, and share your thoughts. Or add something that we didn’t even know about.
