Fires and Fire-Fighters

John Kenlon became a New York City firefighter in 1887, and was appointed Fire Chief in 1911. In 1913, he wrote this authoritative book surveying the history of fire-fighting from ancient Rome to 20th-century New York. The first part of the book explores the evolution of fire-fighting techniques in various countries and the development of equipment and organization, and describes several famous historical fires and how they were fought. The remainder of the book discusses in greater detail some particular types of fires confronting an urban fire department in 1913, such as hotel, theater, factory, hospital, and school fires, sea port fires, and skyscraper fires. The author also emphasizes the need for high pressure water delivery systems, sprinkler systems, modern apparatus, and proper training for firefighters, and touches on the role of underwriters and salvage corps.

By : John Kenlon (1861 - 1940)

01 - Introduction 02 - Fire Fighting in Ancient Rome 03 - The Evolution of Fire Fighting 04 - Past and Present - Reminiscences of a Fire Fighter 05 - The French Fire Fighter 06 - Fire Fighting in Germany 07 - Fire Departments of Middle Europe 08 - The Trade of Arson 09 - Gasoline and Garages 10 - Great Fires and How They Were Fought, part 1A 11 - Great Fires and How They Were Fought, part 1B 12 - Great Fires and How They Were Fought, part 2 13 - The Hotel Peril 14 - Theatres and Fire Panics 15 - The High Pressure System 16 - Fire Control in Schools, Factories, and Hospitals 17 - Fire Fighting in the United Kingdom 18 - The New York Fire Department 19 - Sea Port Problems 20 - Fire Strategy in the Homes of the People 21 - Quick Burners 22 - The Problem of the Skyscraper 23 - Apparatus for Fire Fighting 24 - Two Platoon System 25 - Underwriters and Salvage Corps 26 - Conclusion