Welcome to the Fire Department for The City Of Portsmouth, NH

Early buildings in Portsmouth, like those of most colonial settlements, were largely of wood frame construction. There were no building codes to make sure chimneys were built properly. Serious fires were common.

There were no organized Fire Departments. Property owners were required to purchase and maintain "Fire Buckets". In the event of fire, all able body residents were expected to respond carrying their "Fire Buckets" and form a "Bucket Brigade" to attempt to fight the fire.

Experience proved this to be a pretty ineffective method of fire suppression and men like Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia pioneered the formation of organized Fire Departments.

Early Fire Departments were operated by Insurance Companies, and only policyholders were granted suppression services. This plan soon fell by the wayside, and volunteer fire departments were formed to serve all the citizens.

In 1762 the Friendly Fire Society was formed. The Federal Fire Society was formed in 1789. The Humane Fire Society was formed in 1796. Daniel Webster joined the Humane Fire Society in 1806. The Mechanics Fire Society was formed in 1811.

The early Volunteer Fire Companies in Portsmouth were important social organizations. They not only provided essential fire suppression service; they were also a gathering place where social activities took place. They had names like "Moses H. Goodrich #4", "W.J. Sampson Ladder 1", "Kearsarge Steam Engine #3", and "Eureka #1".

The independent volunteer fire companies served the community well, but in 1849 the City took control of the Fire Department. The Volunteer fire companies continued to perform but they were united under City Government. Around the turn of the century, the City hired full time Firefighters.

Portsmouth has a history of disastrous fires. In the Great Fire of 1802 one hundred thirty-two buildings burned. In the Great Fire of 1806, St. John's Church and thirteen other buildings were lost. Another major fire occurred in 1845 and consumed most of the buildings on Market Street.

The largest Great Fire occurred in 1813 when a terrible fire burned nearly the entire central business district, stopping only when it reached the Piscataqua River. A total of 244 buildings covering fifteen acres were destroyed.

As a result of these fires, a Fire District was created. All new buildings in the Fire District were required to be constructed of brick, with slate roofs. They were also required to have masonry chimneys. Many of the new brick buildings that were constructed in the burned out Central Business District still stand. They are what give Portsmouth's downtown its charm today.

Few of the early wood frame buildings survive; some of those that do are located in the Strawbery Banke Museum. The oldest house in Portsmouth is the Jackson House, a wood frame structure located on Northwest Street in the "Christian Shores" section of town Portsmouth acquired its first Fire Engine in 1756.

The second Fire Engine arrived in 1762.

In 1864 the City purchased its first Steam Fire Engine.

In 1872 a Steam Fire Engine and a hose wagon were sent by rail to Boston to assist in fighting fire. The Engine from Portsmouth was credited with doing much to protect the old South Church.

In 1885 the first telegraph fire alarm system was installed. There were approximately 12 fire alarm boxes located throughout the city. In order to turn in an alarm, the reporting party had to locate a fire warden, who would unlock the box with a key and transmit the alarm.

After World War II, the Portsmouth Fire Department had a major addition to its' mission. In 1948 the Department began providing ambulance service, currently known as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to City residents.

In those early days the ambulance was dispatched to Boston frequently. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it also transported local patients all over the country, as far away as Ohio and North Carolina. Training and equipment were minimal. The City's only ambulance could be out of town for a week.

In 1948, thoughts of starting IV's, administering drugs and defibrillating patients in cardiac arrest were equivalent to sending a man to the moon. Today it is a routine practice.

Emergency Medical Service has come an incredible distance in the last 50 years. Several major improvements have taken place:

Fire Engines, (called Apparatus), have evolved from the early human drawn and operated Hand Tubs, through the 19th century Steamer, pulled by horses and equipped with a steam powered pump, to modern vehicles featuring power operated aerial ladders and high volume pumps. Modern apparatus is usually powered with a diesel engine.

The hose and nozzles we use, although modified to perform better, are direct descendants of the Colonial era leather hose and brass nozzles.

Major advances in firefighters safety, especially Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (developed after WWII and based on the underwater "Aqua Lung"), and new Nomex and PBI materials used in firefighters suits have helped reduce the injury and death rate. Still there are approximately 75-100 firefighter deaths each year, as well as thousands of less severe injuries. Due to the dangerous nature of a firefighters work, job related injuries and illnesses cost communities nationwide millions of dollars in lost productivity annually. We work constantly to reduce the injury rate.

Improvements in building codes and increased use of fire resistive and retardant materials helps the Fire Department. However, that assistance is offset somewhat by the extensive use of plastics in modern buildings. When ignited, many plastics produce large quantities of toxic smoke and they burn very intensely. This makes fire fighting much more difficult and increases the chance of injuries for building occupants.

Probably the most important safety feature in building construction is the installation of Automatic Sprinkler Systems. These systems, developed in the 19th century and continually approved upon, operate in the event of a fire. They dramatically increase the safety of the public and have made large loss fires less common.

Despite the improvements in equipment and technology, the business of fighting fires is still very labor intensive. While diesel engines powering a ladder and pumper have replaced twenty or thirty men working a hand tub, there are no existing products that can enter a building, quickly find victims or the location of a fire and effectively perform a rescue or fire extinguishments.

Even sprinkler systems, although providing a dramatic increase in public safety, do not reduce the requirement for fire fighting personnel. Firefighters do not just spray water on the fire; we also do our best to protect the contents of a building from damage. An operating sprinkler system can produce large amounts of water quickly, and large numbers of personnel are needed to cope with the situation.

We hope the information above is of interest.