WHEN THE GONG RINGS

A HISTORICAL FIRE DEPARTMENT LEARNING ACTIVITY

Fire Fighting and Science  Learning Activity and Resource Page
History of the Charleston Fire Department

Tom and Alex, Firehouses for the Volunteer Charleston Fire Department, Charleston, Illinois

Fire Dogs and Horses--  Heroes of America's Past An Activity to Learn about Old and Modern-day Fire Fighting Technologies

A San Francisco "Steamer" with a triad of fast fire horses and the protective dalmation fire dog running aside the engine

1860's-1920's in America
Large diesel fire engines in all forms roar down streets in our towns and cities.  We take them for granted.  Hardly anyone can remember the horse-drawn fire engines of old.  Streets were either dirt, or if a little fancier would be paved with brick.  Large cities had crowded streets with trolley cars, dray wagons, carts and pedestrians crossing every which way.  The fire steamers, such as pictured above were common in large cities, while the chemical wagon on the right above was common in the smaller cities.  This activity is to help the student to further understand and appreciate a piece of American History that is small, but important, and especially exciting.  By learning about the firemen of old, the fire dogs (often Dalmatians) and the horses, the student can get a feeling of what life would be like in the 19th and 20th centuries concerning fire-fighting and safety.