The Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage, in Edinburgh, Scotland, tells the story of firefighting in Scotland, from the days of the Fire Insurance Companies, through to the modern Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Exhibits include vintage equipment and apparatus as well as activities to teach visitors about fire-safe behaviors and help them better understand the complex and varied work of the fire brigade.
MUSEUM OF SCOTTISH FIRE HERITAGE
1A Dryden Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH7 4NB
UK
www.museumofscottishfireheritage.org
FIREFIGHTING IN EDINBURGH
Edinburgh, Scotland, was a bustling city in the early 1800s. Buildings, many made of wood, lined the tight, winding streets. Residents relied on fire for cooking, heating, and work, and fires were frequent, fast-spreading, and hard to control.
Residents relied on a haphazard system of protection provided by insurance companies, paid to sound the alarm and provide firefighting crews. The insurance companies often fought over the water supply, and their disorganized approach to firefighting consisted of surrounding a fire and pouring water on the fire in an attempt to drown it. Most buildings burned to the ground.
The primary concern of the insurance company brigades was to salvage as much as possible to limit the size of insurance claims.
A series of devastating fires occurred in 1824, including the Great Fire of Edinburgh, which burned for five days, killing 13 and leaving hundreds homeless. The City of Edinburgh was moved to find a better way to protect its citizens.
The Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment was formed in 1824-the first municipal fire brigade in the world, paid for by the city and offering its services to the public for free. James Braidwood, a 23-year-old building surveyor, was the brigade’s first leader. Braidwood worked to organize an efficient and trained force, largely made up of tradesmen such as masons and carpenters, because they understood how buildings were constructed. Braidwood helped design equipment that was specific to the job, including helmets with neck protection, and changed the way fires were fought, training firefighters to aggressively fight the fire from inside the burning building.
1911 HALLEY PUMPING APPARATUS
Once operated by the Leith Fire Brigade, WS 113 was manufactured by the Halley Company in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1911. WS 113 is powered by a 10-liter petrol engine, which drives the rear wheels via a chain and also powers the single-stage fire pump.
After leaving the Leith Fire Brigade, the apparatus protected the Bangour Village Hospital and also served as a tow truck before being purchased and restored by a collector.
Halley’s Industrial Motors manufactured commercial vehicles from 1906 to 1935 before going out of business.
1939 Dennis Light 6 Limousine
The Dennis Limousine pumper was a new design that placed a focus on protecting equipment and personnel from the elements.
The rear body opened in the rear, enclosing equipment and providing a safe space for firefighters to sit while responding to alarms. The fire pump was mounted at the rear beneath the body, enclosed in a compartment behind the folding step.
The Dennis once served the fire brigade in Musselburgh.
Other Apparatus and equipment on display
