Fire Services – protecting us all

From the day fire was discovered mankind has had – literally – a burning need for mobile fire fighting equipment. The earliest documented mobile units were wheeled hand-pumped machines developed in Europe in the 17th century. These hand powered units were superseded by horse power and in 1841 a steam-propelled fire engine was developed in New York. Although not widely adopted at the time, this heralded the way for self-propelled fire engines.

As the fire fighting industry developed, and continues to develop, a multitude of designs spanning a wide variety of situations and applications have been introduced.

Preserved fire appliances today range from basic water tender pumping units through to airport rapid intervention vehicles and sophisticated aerial platform appliances. While many of these vehicles are owned privately, museums dedicated to fire fighting can also be found around the world.

With fire fighting vehicles universally recognised as essential items of life saving equipment, FIVA's Utilitarian Commission is proud to promote and help preserve and protect the world's historic fire appliances.