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Fighting
Fire: The History of the Aurora Fire
Department
A temporary exhibit at the Aurora
historical Society from Febuary 2000 to April
2001.
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Fighting Fire!
Bells clang! Sirens scream! Fire engines
race past with a flash of color, noise, and
excitement. In their wake follow a curious crowd of
young and old.
Whether in the early 1800s or today, the battle
between fire and fireman is a thrilling spectacle,
and the arsenal of equipment used in the fighting
is almost as thrilling as the battles
themselves.
Early firefighters were ordinary citizens enlisted
to fight a community battle armed with little more
than ladders and buckets of water. As communities
grew so did the threat from fire. New types of fire
fighting equipment was developed to counter this
threat and by the turn of the Twentieth Century
fighting fire had become a profession.
From the simple buckets, to modern fire engines
this exhibit traces the evolution of firefighting
equipment, and the history of the Aurora Fire
Department.
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Hose carts, helmets, belts, and ballot
boxes illustrate the early fire companies of
Aurora.
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At Work and on Parade
In the 1800s, members of a fire company often had
as many social responsibilities as they did
firefighting. Fire companies were constantly
sponsoring fund raising balls, or fraternal trips
to visit other fellow fire companies in nearby, or
even distant towns. Firemen also loved to show off
their equipment and demonstrate their talents. One
Aurora fireman stated in 1879, "When the annual
review parade takes place it is like a public
holiday in town, and everybody wants to see the
sight and by their presence show their
appreciation." In the late 1800 and early 1900s,
local, statewide, and national and even
international firefighting tournaments were
followed with the same enthusiasm as we follow our
favorite sports teams today.
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Tools of the Trade
Axes, nozzles, wrenches, flashlights, smoke
masks, fire extinguishers... These are only some
of the tools of the trade used by firefighters
throughout the ages.
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The AFD Today
Today the city of Aurora is protected by just over
two hundred firefighters operating from nine
stations. In 1999, the Aurora Fire Department
responded to 11,387 calls. Firefighters of the
twenty-first century do more than fight fires.
Emergency medical calls, hazardous materials
incidents, water rescues, high-angle and below
ground rope rescues -- today's firefighters must be
well trained and versatile.
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