Rome firefighters have been racing to the scene of fires, saving lives and property, for more than 129 years.
As the city of Rome prepares to celebrate its 150th birthday this year, here is a look back at how the city’s fire department got its start, from documents on file at the Rome Historical Society:
At first, buckets and hand-pumped horse-drawn machines were used by volunteers to fight fires. But after disastrous blazes claimed whole city blocks, two opera houses, and the Court House between 1848 and 1884, officials gradually added men and machinery to the firefighting arsenal.
Shortly after a major fire in 1866 claimed the city’s Elm Row area downtown, killing one volunteer, a steamer was ordered from a company in Rhode Island. It replaced an 1825 hand engine. A second steamer was obtained the following year.