Springfield (MA) Firefighting

The history of the Springfield, Massachusetts, Fire Department dates back to 1792 when the first hand pumper, Lion, was purchased. On January 24, 1794, a fire club with 50 members, all prominent citizens of the city, was organized. Fire districts were established in 1830 by an act passed by the Massachusetts legislature. By 1833, Springfield officially organized a volunteer fire department. The department changed from volunteer to paid in 1872; and the volunteers then formed the Springfield Veteran Fireman's Association. After 1872, the department was quick to embrace new technology, and in 1916 became the first fully-motorized fire department in the US.

Firefighters Bookstore Item # 6252