Existing comment:
Safety in the City:
Between 1804 and the end of the Civil War, the city boasted several independent fire companies. These companies sometimes proved to be more of a problem than a solution to the fires that burned in Washington on an almost daily basis. Often their equipment was not appropriate. Sometimes rival companies fought over which unit would respond to a fire, or went to far as to sabotage each other.
On May 19, 1864, the city decided to establish a paid Fire Department, which was organized on July 1, 1864. Only four companies were paid at first, with a chief engineer and five commissioners appointed for the new organization dubbed the Washington City Fire Department. This was effectively the beginning of professional fire fighting in Washington DC. |