Overview of the History and
Development of the Canadian
Fire Service
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Introduction
This chapter covers:
 Importance of the mission of the fire service
 Purpose of a mission statement
 How the history of the fire service influences
the modern day firefighter
 Fire service changes from 1947 to early twentyfirst century
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The Mission of the Fire Service
 Mission synonymous with purpose for
existence
 Legal authority to act in a certain manner
 Mission statement
 Written declaration describing things it
intends to do to protect citizenry or customers
 Every individual responsible for mission
 Varies from very general to very specific
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History of the Fire Service in Canada
 Firefighter tasks are the same all over the
world.
 Save lives and property from fire and other
emergencies.
 Different fire departments have different
approaches.
 The Canadian fire service has always had a
romantic image.
1.4
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Fire Loss Record of North America
 The fire loss record of North America has
been dismal compared to most of Europe.
 A 1918 report found that Canada had the
worst life and property loss per capita in the
world.
 Dependence upon fighting fire instead of
preventing them
 Globalization of commerce and
communication
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Early Settlers
 Very vulnerable to fire
 Expediency over-ruled the fear of fire
 Profligate attitude towards forests they
burned for agriculture and to the
buildings they put up
 Conflagrations destroyed large parts of
towns and cities became a drag on the
development on a viable and comfortable
community.
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Early Fire Service

Late 1700s: Fire insurance market to
cover fire losses and begin
community firefighting capability.

Cities tried to control the threat of fires.


Regulations, control of flammables,
firefighting provisions, fire wardens
Earliest firefighting measures were
ineffectual.
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Fire Insurance and Fire Engines
 Amsterdam fire engine consisted of a large, open
topped box on wheels with a mounted twocylinder piston pump.
 Hand engine developed in 1721 by British Inventor
Richard Newsham
 George and Alfred Perry built an engine in 1840 to
compete in pumping contests.
 Great fire of London in 1666 stimulated the
development of fire insurance and the first fire
insurance companies.
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Canada’s only major hand fire engine manufacturer was
successful with engines for firefighting and competitions
in mid nineteenth century. The Perry brothers were
prominent volunteer firemen.
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An example of the British style of engine donated by the British
insurance companies to Canadian cities. The gooseneck nozzle
on top has been replaced by a pipe leading down to connect with
hose.
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Fire Insurance and Fire Engines
(cont.)
 Vancouver was born overnight in the 1880s,
after the hand engine era was gone.
 Benjamin Franklin is considered the father of
the American fire service.
 First half of 1800s, volunteer fire companies
reigned supreme in all Canadian cities and
towns.
 Alfred Perry was considered the father of the
Canadian fire service.
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Fire Insurance and Fire Engines
(cont.)
 Mid-1800s: Cities and towns were growing
much larger, bigger buildings and more
densely built business districts
 Montreal had one ladder and nine engine
companies.
 Toronto had one ladder, nine engine, two hose, and
one salvage companies.
 Fire companies requiring large numbers of
members
 Toronto and Montreal installed powerful
water main systems with hydrants by 1861.
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Steam Power and Career
Firefighters
 1860s: Hand and horse-drawn steam pumping
engines were imported
 Halifax had the first steam fire engine in Canada,
March 1861.
 Soda-acid extinguisher adopted in the form of
hand-carried extinguishers and 40 to 60 gallon
tanks on apparatus.
 Chemical tanks were installed on many hosewagons, called simply “the chemical.”
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Steam Power and Career
Firefighters (cont.)
 Before 1880, a need for power operated, longer
ladder as buildings grew larger.
 1891: Colleret ladder, by a Montreal fireman
 1902: Seagrave spring-assist ladder
 Manually-raised ladder became obsolete
 American LaFrance used superior raising and
rotating mechanisms.
 1950s: Spring-hoist ladders remained in service in
Canada.
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Most cities passed through extended transitions
from volunteers to career staff using an on-call force
and skeleton staff. Here are the Engine 3 call men with
their full-time drivers in Saint John, NB.
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The Montreal Fire Department goes into action,
advancing hose-lines laid by their wagon, while
a fair damsel is caught in a life-net, all done for
an early movie.
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Auxiliaries
 Horse-drawn fire department utilized
various auxiliary vehicles in support to the
major apparatus.
 Fire departments operated specialized
salvage companies for the purpose with
their own vehicles.
 Specialized rescue or squad companies
 Fuel wagons supplied the steamers with
coal.
 Chiefs had buggies with fast horses.
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An assemblage of company apparatus in Hamilton,
Ont., representing a typical city first alarm business
district response.
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The Hayburners
 Horses that were both strong and fast
became the rule.
 Horse were stables located in the back of
apparatus room.
 In 1919, Montreal operated 110 horse-drawn
fire department vehicles.
 In 1912, Toronto operated 55 horse-drawn
vehicles with 120 horses.
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Gasoline Power
 Cities converted to gasoline rapidly.
 Victoria’s last horse retired in 1919.
 Lower maintenance cost was a strong
element in the change.
 Costly in capital investment for aerial trucks
and pumping engines
 Changeover began around 1910.
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Gasoline Power (cont.)
 First custom chassis Seagrave AC type
 American LaFrance developed piston,
rotary gear and centrifugal pumps.
 Functional capabilities of apparatus
 Triple combination
 Quadruple combination
 Quintuple combination
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The front wheel drive configuration of this LaFrance
springhoist aerial ladder truck was originally devised
for conversion of horse-drawn aerials and engines.
22
A Seagrave centrifugal pumper on test. These reliable
engines replaced steamers across Montreal in the 1920s.
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Working Conditions
 The earliest career firefighters served under
appalling conditions.
 No protective clothing
 Duty was “single platoon”
 World War I introduced shift or platoon
plans in larger cities.
 The Depression brought some delays in
capital expenditures, and working
conditions were static.
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Government Involvement
 1918, federal government report on fire
waste in Canada.
 Establishment of provincial fire
commissioner or fire marshal offices
 Federal and provincial public education
 Fire research
 Enforcement of adequate building and fire
prevention codes
 Manitoba had fire prevention legislation as
early as 1876.
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What the well dressed fireman wore in 1916, rubber turnout
coat and a leather helmet, no breathing apparatus.
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Modern firefighters benefit from better training and
working conditions with shortened hours on the job
and substantial benefits and protection.
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Urban Physical Structure
 Cities and towns grew, hazards such as
ignition and fuel for destructive fires also
grew.
 Buildings became bigger, taller and fraught
with new hazards.
 Conflagrations continued to occur.
 Metropolitan areas into countryside
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Urban Physical Structure (cont.)
 Numerous serious life losses occurred in
institutional occupancies of nineteenthcentury construction.
 New difficulties: Foam plastics in buildings;
introduction of light weight components
 Growing cities saw the increased use of tall or
high-rise buildings.
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Firefighters work to contain a blaze in a commercial building.
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Firefighters work to ventilate a roof using modern tools.
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The Technological Era
 Progress of technology has great effect on
urban and rural fire protection.
 Communication is improved.
 Automatic detection and extinguishment both
gives warning and makes the home owner
aware of the fire threat.
 Availability of breathing apparatus derived
from the diver’s aqualung.
 Infrared fire detection
 Emergency medical devices
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Fireground commander transmitting orders via a radio.
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Winnipeg firefighters try on three types of breathing apparatus.
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The Technological Era (cont.)
 Weak management and reluctance to change held back




many improvements.
Sophisticated technology and management
History teaches us that a mission, planning and
persistence are required to pursue advancement of the
fire service in the face of resistance by the public it
protects.
Education is vital in achieving an appropriate level of fire
safety in the community, education both for the
firefighter and for the citizenry.
Growing technology is vital.
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Lessons Learned
 The Fire Service in Canada has a long and storied
history.
 Firefighters are an important piece of the protection
and response component available to our
communities.
 We must give due credit to the past.
 Future contains difficult challenges and
opportunities.
 Firefighters must develop skills that did not exist
previously.
 The motto of the Roman fire brigade was “Semper
Vigilans,” or “Always Vigilant.”
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