How long does it take you to get ready to leave the house? Consider this: In the 1800s, it took fire horses less than 30 seconds to get out the door and be on their way to an emergency. All while pulling a steam engine weighing several tons! You can see a beautiful example of a steam engine (minus the horses) on the ground floor of D.C. Engine Co. 3, home to the D.C. Fire & EMS Museum.
On a bitterly cold Saturday morning, members of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. headed to the Museum and immersed themselves in a hot topic: Fire fighting in the Nation’s Capital. From the impact of technology and urban development on emergency response times to the evolution of safety equipment and smoke safety tips, the 2015 Program calendar of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., kicked off on January 10th with a well-attended members talk and tour of the museum.
The program celebrated an on-going collaboration between three long-serving civic associations: During a brief ceremony, the Friendship Fire Association (FFA) president Jim Embrey acknowledged the recent transfer of artifacts from the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.. Participants also spoke with special guest Interim Fire Chief Eugene Jones. The talk and tour provided the first public viewing of the parade hats, helmets and belt transferred from the Historical Society’s collections this past Fall with the support of the original donor, the AOI. The artifacts help to illustrate both the early years of the volunteer era as well as the professional department, which began in 1864, the year fire call boxes were introduced.
(Currently in its 121st year, the Historical Society is the youngest of the organizations; 2014 saw the FFA’s celebration of the D.C. Fire & EMS Department’s 150th anniversary, while the AOI is currently celebrating its sesquicentennial.)
Following the program on the third floor of the historic – and still operational – D.C. Engine Co. 3, the group continued the conversation over lunch at Sixth Engine, located in a former fire house designed by Adolph Cluss.
If you weren’t able to join the Society for this program, you can always learn more about the history of fire fighting in Washington through the resources of the Kiplinger Research Library (such Series XVI of the AOI records, which comprise the Veteran Volunteer Firemen’s Association Records) or by visiting the artifacts in person at the D.C. Fire & EMS Museum at 439 New Jersey Avenue NW!
