The men and women of the modern Fire Brigade come from a long and glorious history, as reported by Blue Light Magazine. The institution has not always been the most honorable group as they are known today; in fact, the origin of the Fire Brigade dates back to an individual by the name of Crassus, a Roman who mustered a force of 500 men to rush to burning buildings to put out the fires. However, these citizens would only act if Crassus and the building’s owner came to a satisfactory price for their services. If they didn’t, the Fire Brigade would stand by and watch as the building burned.
Fast forward a bit – fire fighting ebbs and flows, with many historical towns burning to the ground due to inadequate fire fighting systems and use of highly flammable building materials. The Great Fire of London in 1666 was the main turning point for change, and Blue Light Magazine reports that the devastation inspired a number of private fire brigades. This system finally, gradually evolved with the implementation of steam-powered technology and breathing systems to avoid smoke inhalation. Finally, in 1866 the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was established to protect all life and property from fire throughout London regardless of insurance. This evolved into a unified system during and after the Second World War.