History of Firefighting Vehicles
Ctesibius of Alexandria is credited with inventing the first fire pump around the second century B.C. but the idea was lost, ironically, in the burning of Alexandria. The fire pump was reinvented in Europe during the 1500s, reportedly used in Augsburg in 1518 and Nuremberg in 1657. A book of 1655 inventions mentions a steam engine (called fire engine) pump used to "raise a column of water 12 m," but there was no mention of whether it was portable.
Colonial laws in America required each house to have a bucket of water on the front stoop (especially at night) in case of fire, for the initial "bucket brigade" that would throw the water at fires.
Philadelphia obtained a hand-pumped fire engine in 1719, years after Boston's 1654 model appeared there, made by Joseph Jencks, but before New York's two engines arrived from London.
Left - 1725. Hand drawn 5th size manual fire engine. Used in England. Bedpost style pumper.
Middle - 1740. Hand drawn 3rd size manual fire engine. Used in England.
Right - 1760. Hand drawn and carried manual fire engine. Used in England.
By 1730, Newham, in London, had made successful fire engines; the first used in New York City (in 1731) were of his make (six years before formation of the NYC volunteer fire department). The amount of manpower and skill necessary for firefighting prompted the institution of an organized fire company by Benjamin Franklin in 1737. Thomas Lote built the first fire engine made in America in 1743.
The first fire engine in which steam was used was that of John Braithwaite in 1829.
Ericsson made a similar one in New York in 1840. John Ericsson is credited with building the first American steam-powered fire engine.
