Fire has always played a large role in society. As society grows so do the risks of uncontrolled fires. At the Hutchings Museum we have a large assortment of artifacts from our local Lehi fire station that demonstrate the history of the equipment needed to fight fires.
Fire
Fire has been an incredible survival tool for centuries, since it provides warmth and protection. Fires have also, however, been a recurrent problem for civilization. Lives are devastated by loss of homes, food, and loved ones each year. Throughout history we've advanced in many ways, accelerating the process of firefighting and saving lives.
The response to the call
There is always a team of poised individuals on-site with all preparations needed to leave in an instant.
The bell rings
When firemen are not out fighting fires, they wait patiently in the fire station. This bell rang loud and clear alerting all on-duty firemen that they were needed. Today firemen are trained to don their needed equipment in under a minute.
Durability
Fires consume everything they touch. For the firemen to put out the fire unharmed, their clothes and equipment need to be made of thick, durable material. This old fashioned leather equipment has now been replaced with a man-made fabric called Nomex.
Fireman's gear
Today the equipment that our firefighters use can withstand up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. A coal barbecue burns at roughly the same temperature when using natural coal, meaning our firemen would survive if you stuck them into your barbecue!
Equipment
All of those thick clothes aren't enough to battle the fire — we need something to put it out! The Latin root "retardantem" means: to make slow, delay, or hinder. Thus, when referring to something that is used to extinguish a fire, we sometimes refer to that substance as a "retardant."
Water!
Water makes the perfect fire retardant due to the high levels of Oxygen in its molecules. Oxygen is needed to burn, but when it is connected to another element (such as Hydrogen) the fire cannot feed off of it. Since the fire cannot get a hold of any free Oxygen molecules, it then dies.
Water pressure valve
The quickest way to get water on the fire is through a fire hose, pushing it rapidly through a series of tools until it reaches the nozzle at the tip. This valve impedes any back-flowing water to elevate the water pressure levels.
Nozzle
Nozzles can be adjusted to change how far you want the rushing water to travel. Today's fire equipment can shoot a stream of water at speeds of 100 miles per hour, which will reach 100 feet when shot straight up into the air.
Handle
The water comes out of the nozzle at extremely high pressures making it hard to hold on to. The fire hoses have handlebars fastened onto them allowing the firemen's work to be easier.
Alternative equipment
Sometimes when the situation is too rough to permit access to a fire hose, this backpack is used as a short term water supply allowing the firemen to make quick trips into the fire if needed. There is a variety of alternative fire fighting tools featured at the Hutchings Museum.
Water bucket
This bucket was used to throw buckets of water when there was no option to use a high pressured hose.
Sand bucket
Water was not the only substance used to battle fires. This cone was used to store sand, and the conical shape allowed for a better grip, which helped them to throw the sand on top of a blazing fire.
Fire extinguisher grenade
These bottles were filled with chemicals that when dispersed serve as an excellent fire retardant. The public would generally keep these in their homes near the fireplace in case they needed to extinguish a fire in an emergency.
Success!
These artifacts were used to extinguish fires for many years, and similar techniques are still used today.
The aftermath
Although the fire may be out, the effects are irreversible. The highly skilled firemen do an excellent job, but generally, there is not much to salvage from a blazing fire. In 2017, ten billion dollars of property damage was caused by wildfires alone, devastating not only people, but also our precious ecosystems as well.
Evolution
Throughout time the techniques men use to fight fires have changed; but the valor, courage, and grit that our firemen have is an unchangeable constant that we all depend on.
