RED ALERT
The history of organised firefighting dates back to the beginnings of civilization when hand pumps are believed to have been used by the ancient Egyptians. The Romans also created their own fire brigade, which was reputed to have a nominal strength of more than 50 men. Yet despite their valiant efforts, two thirds of Rome burned down in AD 64.
Firefighting in the rest of Europe remained fairly rudimentary, until the 17th century. Despite the formation of night watches, large cities like Paris suffered from several large infernos, and London had to endure the Great Fire of 1666. Following this disaster, insurance companies formed private fire brigades using fire marks to identify the buildings.
The most significant breakthrough in firefighting was the development of the first fire engines. Early appliances continued to favour hand pumps and had a very limited range due to the lack of hoses. These were eventually invented in 1672, by Dutchman Jan van der Heyden. The hoses were made out of flexible leather, coupled every 50ft using brass fittings. This length is still the standard used in mainland Europe.
By contrast, British hoses were only half this size. Nevertheless, these were very effective, and by the mid-18th century, manual pumps on hand carts manned by teams of
