... LIKE FIRE AND WATER
FIRE BRIGADE: POWER GAMES WITH THE FORCES OF NATURE
It is a old maxim that opposites attract. Or repel. In any case, they are an ambivalent pair - just like fire and water. Fire fighters all over the world who work daily with the natural elements can attest to that. But how did it actually all begin? On the discovery of water as an extinguishing substance. And on the invention of one of the most life-saving institutions on Earth.
Since the discovery of fire, we humans have been trying to use its power whilst keeping its destructive potential under control. As early as Antiquity, nature itself presented us with the natural counteragent to all too greedy flames: rainwater. From then on people sought to use the newly discovered extinguishing power of water specifically to fight destructive fires. Thus it is not surprising that the roots of the global institution of the "fire brigade" go back as far as the Egyptians. The oldest known illustration, in the form of a relief dating from about 850 BC, shows Assyrian warriors extinguishing enemy fire torches with the help of large jars. This age also saw the invention of the first fire hose, which was actually part of the standard fire fighting repertoire until the mid-19th century under the name of plunger pump. The mechanic Ctesibius of Alexandria is considered the inventor, at around 250 BC. Just under 230 years later, the Roman police commissioner Marcus Egnatius Rufus formed a private troop of fire fighters of 600 slaves, who worked very effectively and thus their leader enjoyed great public favour. Then under Emperor Augustus there were seven fire brigades of 400 to 600 men, which were each responsible for two districts in Rome. Incidentally, according to historical accounts, at about the same time fire fighting also took root in Japan.
Fire brigade - an ode to Ancient Rome
As early as the time of Christ's birth, the Romans started developing telescopic ladders and professionalised the transport of water for extinguishing fires with chains of buckets. Although these were not as effective as people had hoped, they still managed relatively often to protect at the least the objects bordering on the greedy flames. Water hoses were not yet known at this time, however, the Romans made skilful use of all available means as masters of water transportation. Correspondingly, their equipment included buckets, hoses, baskets, blankets, sponges, ladders, poles, fireman's hooks, saws, hammers and so-called fire blankets, which, when saturated, were used to protect neighbouring buildings. Water was fetched from rivers or drawn from wells with the help of bowls and cloths. In addition, fire fighters were organised systematically according to the tasks that needed to be carried out, for example, there were people to carry water, use the hoses, those responsible for fire blankets and lights.
The pioneering work of the fire brigades in the Roman Empire was continued in the Middle Ages in the form of fire protection regulations, followed by official decrees on fire extinguishing for cities and communes in the 14th century. Night watchers checked at fixed times that all fires were extinguished correctly and where fire broke out, water carriers were summoned to the site by fire alarm in the form of ringing bells. Thus the familiar term "fire watch" also dates back to this period. Moreover, they were increasingly able to ensure the constant supply of water tanks via pumping stations as the precursors of the later waterworks.
Notable extinguishing classics
In the 17th century, existing fire extinguishing equipment was decidedly improved by the invention of the hose, initially made of sewn and riveted leather. For the first time, it became possible to transport water even over longer distances without making detours to the source of the fire. Nonetheless, equipment even up until the early 19th century was not so very different from its beginnings in the Roman Empire, but it was refined and professionalised in line with the times. Alongside the alarm, window breaker and fireman's axe, the classics naturally also include the tools and instruments for carrying water. These include the early fire pump from the 18th century, which could be transported to the location of the fire on a cart and could even be used to fight fires within buildings.
The so-called "crutch-jet", the predecessor of today's household fire extinguishers, was another such item, as was the nostalgic-seeming old steel tube and natural sponges steeped in water to prevent the inhalation of toxic smoke, held in place by a rubber band. Not to mention the hand-pump water jets mounted on carts and the other pumps derived from the above-mentioned fire-extinguishing pump.
Fore protection enters the Modern age
Even if Napoleon laid the foundation stones for the voluntary job of fireman in Paris, this did not prevent the emergence of well-trained professional fire-fighting brigades. And their prime importance as rescuers of property and persons continues to this day. Organised fire brigades such as we all know today were first set up toward the end of the 19th century. Either state-run or private (as in the United States), they increasingly not only handle fire prevention but also provide assistance during natural disasters.
In the 21st century, water is not always suitable as the medium used in the power play against fire. Natural materials are increasingly being replaced by artificial variants that entail completely different forms of combustion and gas emissions. As a result, industry has conducted extensive R&D to devise alternative media, usually chemical in origin. To make certain these are used purposefully, they are chosen depending on the origin and type of fire. This is a proven approach especially in cases of fires specifically involving gases or metals. Unfortunately, an exact analysis of the suitable medium is not always possible, meaning that in practise sometimes extensive damage is actually caused by the extinguishing medium itself.
Nevertheless, there is no denying the preference for using water as the extinguishing medium. In most parts of the world it is almost always at hand, relatively easy to transport (even over longer distances). Using pumps and hoses it can easily be directed across larger distances and heights, and its great density means with the right pressure it can be squirted across substantial gaps in large amounts. This is crucial, as the severity of impact strongly boosts its efficacy as an extinguisher. Moreover, water has no taste or smell, is not toxic, is chemically neutral, and can absorb a lot of heat very, very quickly. Its key property is this ability to cool things. If, once the source or centre of the fire has been identified, water is suitable, then it is without doubt the cheapest and most natural means of extinguishing available.
Sometimes, however, the time of year simply prevents the use of water to extinguish fires. Given that it freezes as 0°C, it is hard to use on colder winter's days, and the fire brigades materials and equipment can also be damaged by water expanding as it freezes. Sudden evaporation at high temperatures brings the danger of impaired visibility for the firemen, not to forget their being scalded, and under certain circumstances can even lead to pressure in the fire zone rising. Indeed, since water conducts electricity and reacts fiercely with certain chemical substances, in rare cases the water used to fight fires can become a dangerous partner to the fire. Furthermore, it is not suitable to combat burning liquids, such as oil.
(Why firemen do not always see red
Red is most probably used as the colour for the rescue services world-wide owing to the strong attention-grabbing character it has. One basic prerequisite for reaching potential helpers and motivate them to assist on a potentially dangerous mission. However, red was not always the colour of choice for fire brigades and for many years the choice was subdued colours such as dark blue, black, brown or green. Even if today luminescent red is the global synonym for fire brigades, countries such as Swaziland or the United Arab Emirates opt to paint their fire-fighting vehicles bright yellow - which is just as eye-catching. Whereas in actual fact given its historical roots, the fire brigade should really refer aquamarine!)
