The First Fire Company

Scott Thompson, author of The Functional Fire Company, says the functional fire company concept was not created but realized: “I realized, after many attempts at trying to view success in the organization from the top down, that it wasn’t possible. Real indicators of success in the fire service come from the bottom up. A fire department’s success is best judged at the company level.” “Many leaders and senior members have been taught the how but not the why, and they don’t understand the reasons for doing what they do,” Thompson says. “Because firefighting is such a technical activity, we must ensure that we are explaining why we do things while we demonstrate the how. It is essential that we develop critical thinking for solving fire suppression, rescue, and EMS problems.” WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: “Chief Scott Thompson combines his decades of experience and years of observation with today’s leadership skills and provides a path for the successful fire department to follow. The Functional Fire Company will take you step by step from being an ordinary fire department to one which defines excellence. --Rick Lasky, Fire Chief (ret.) Texas “I found both motivation and a guide to implementation in this book. Chief Thompson has provided a deep resource for all ranks from creating culture to setting up training structure. I highly recommend this book to anyone with aspirations of making an organizational impact.” --Brian Brush “Chief Thompson has spent his entire career focusing on training and organizational effectiveness. The Functional Fire Company is his life’s work wrapped up into a playbook which offers insight into how to make your organization perform at maximum proficiency. Experience, perspective and a never quit mentality are evident as Chief Thompson provides a unique view to solving problems in the modern-day fire service.” --Terry McGrath, Assistant Chief, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department “This book offers a living, breathing example that Chief Thompson’s principles truly work. I hope you get as much value from this book as we have received from Chief Thompson’s lessons, and that you take what you learn back to your organization.” --Garrett Rice, The Colony Fire Department (TX) Battalion Chief, A Shift

Nineteenth-century NYC’s most dynamic and dangerous neighborhood comes vividly to life in this “careful, intelligent, and sympathetic history” (The New York Times Book Review). Located in today’s Chinatown, Five Points was home to poor immigrants and other marginalized communities. It witnessed more riots, scams, prostitution, and drunkenness than any other neighborhood in America. But at the same time it was a font of creative energy, crammed full of cheap theaters, dance halls, and boxing matches. It was also the home of meeting halls for the political clubs and the machine politicians who would come to dominate not just the city but an entire era in American politics. Drawing from letters, diaries, newspapers, bank records, police reports, and archaeological digs, Anbinder has written the first-ever history of Five Points, the neighborhood that was a microcosm of the American immigrant experience. The story that Anbinder tells is the classic tale of America’s immigrant past, as successive waves of new arrivals fought for survival in a land that was as exciting as it was dangerous, as riotous as it was culturally rich. A New York Times Notable Book

They are called "the Bravest." They are the New York City Fire Department, ordinary men who put themselves on the line every day to save lives, and this is a chronicle of their early history. Birth of the Braves traces the history of New York firefighting from the earliest days of the city when it was part of the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam to the end of the nineteenth century when new innovations in firefighting technology began to make their appearance. Along the way are many tales of heroism and bravery, including accounts of the disastrous fire of 1811, the great conflagration of 1835, the awful fire of 1845, and many other signature events in New York City’s history. Birth of the Bravest also documents the history of firefighting itself, the birth and evolution of fire companies (both "volunteer and paid"), legislated fire regulations, the development of new equipment to aid the bravest in their mission, and the birth of fire insurance. Birth of the Bravest also tracks individual exploits of great heroism, on the job and off, as many members went off to serve in the Civil War. A seminal part of New York City history, the chronicle of the evolution of the Fire Department is an informative tribute to the men who are New York City's Bravest. Birth of the Bravest is a substantially abridged edition of Our Firemen -A History of the New York Fire Departments Volunteer and Paid by A. E. Costello which was originally published in 1887.

Discover the fascinating story of the fire fighter and fire departments with the Short History of Fire Fighting. The book includes historical information on fire engines, bunker gear and other equipment needed by a fire department. The book includes an extensive listing of fire fighting museums in the United States as well as section on fire towers. Firefighter, fire department history, fire engine, museums, equipment, fire tower, firefighting companies

This book serves as a guide for the seasoned veteran, the new firefighter and everyone in between, bringing them together for what it all takes to have that love for the job. Each chapter addresses the next step in the leadership chain that is necessary for a fire service professional to succeed. The chapters are as follows: Our Mission; The Firefighter; The Company Officer; The Chief; Our Two Families; Sweating the Small Stuff; Changing Shirts-The Promotion; What September 11th Did For Us-The Good and the Bad; Ceremonies; Marketing Your Fire Department; Making It All Happen-Embracing Success; Have You Forgotten.

Ray Downey wrote the first edition of The Rescue Company in the early 1990s. Building on Downey's legacy, John Norman has written Fire Department Special Operations to take into consideration the earth-shattering events, funding increases, research advances, expanded capabilities, and changes in regulations and standards that have widened the knowledge gap since the publication of Chief Downey's book. Fire Department Special Operations is an excellent guide for agencies and individuals in establishing, staffing, operating, and maintaining heavy rescue units in the many forms they may take. It is also an ideal training resource for the officers and individuals assigned the duties that a rescue firefighter must accomplish.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Learn the story of the firefighters, departments and fire towers in Indiana. History of Fire Fighting The book begins with a history of firefighting from the earliest firefighting equipment and formation of the first fire departments. Early firefighting equipment and methods are also discussed. United States Firefighting History Readers will learn about the first fire companies formed in the United States as well as some of the earliest destructive fires that took place. Indiana Firefighting The book covers some of the early fire departments in Indiana as well as some of the state's most destructive fires. Fire Towers Fire towers once formed an important link in fire control in the dense forests that cover Indiana. Readers will learn about the history of fire towers as well as the locations of the remaining fire towers in Indiana. Fire Fighting Museums A comprehensive listing of firefighting museums in both the United States and Indiana. Firefighter, fire department history, fire engine, museums, equipment, fire tower, firefighting companies

This fascinating pictorial history chronicles the vibrant development of the largest and most colorful fire service in the country -- the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). Beautifully illustrated, Badges of the Bravest tells the nostalgic story of the fire departments in New York City through a lavish collection of more than 900 badges -- the most time-honored of firefighters' symbols -- along with intriguing photographs and historical documents sure to captivate history buffs, firefighting enthusiasts, and collectors of fire memorabilia. Badges of the Bravest takes the reader through a vivid journey, from the early volunteer companies to the paid uniformed force, from bucket brigades to steam fire engines, from the hand-drawn to the horse-drawn to the motorized era! Badges punctuate the many important milestones in the FDNY's history and capture its most poignant events, including the tragic fires at the Brooklyn Theater, Triangle Shirtwaist factory and the Happyland Social Club. Often overlooked in other published histories of New York firefighting, Badges of the Bravest documents the important role of many specialized fire brigades protecting New York City's landmarks, including the World's Fair, United Nations, Grand Central Terminal, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Coney Island amusement parks, and the World Trade Center. Badges of the Bravest is the saga of a great city... of firefighting and firefighters... and the glorious badges that celebrate and pay fitting tribute to the bravest of American heroes. Book jacket.