4/9/1866 the first meeting of the National Board of Fire Underwriters occurred to work for fire prevention and loss control; in the 1960’s the National Board of Fire Underwriters merged into the American Insurance Association and in 1971 they form the Insurance Service Office … [Read more...]

4/8/1766 the 1st fire escape was patented; it was a wicker basket on a pulley and chain. 4/8/1858 a Toronto, Ontario, Canada firefighter died “after a major fire was brought under control on Adelaide Street, he along with other members of Engine 6 were standing on the sidewalk … [Read more...]

4/7/1871 an Albany, New York firefighter “was killed while operating at a major fire.” 4/7/1913 a Chicago, IL firefighter “died after falling from a ladder at the Armour Beef House at 43rd & Packers.” 4/7/1924 a Los Angeles, CA firefighter died at a second-alarm fire at … [Read more...]

4/6/1990 at 3:08 a.m. fire in the lobby of the Fontana Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida spread smoke to the second and third stories through a utility shaft, normal cracks, and voids in the structure that resulted in the deaths of nine patrons and extensive damage to the building. … [Read more...]

4/5/1967 a day before a sprinkler system was to be installed a fire in a dorm at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) killed eight students and a professor in the two-story block building originally constructed as a motel in the ’50s. The fire originated in the furnace room. Heavy, … [Read more...]

4/4/1949 the St. Anthony’s Hospital fire killed seventy-four in Effingham, IL the 100-bed ordinary construction health care facility with open corridors, staircases, and vertical shafts, using oilcloth fabrics and combustible soundproof tiles. The fire rapidly spread through the … [Read more...]

4/3/1962 “the Norwich, CT fire department lost four firefighters in a violent and fiery explosion at the Van Tassel warehouse. An employee reported smoke coming from the trailer of a truck that was being unloaded at the dock. The truck was carrying a 20-ton load of organic … [Read more...]

4/2/1848 two Manhattan, New York firefighters “were both killed when the building collapsed while they were operating at a fire. Another firefighter was critically injured in the collapse and died April 4th as a result of the injuries he sustained.” 4/2/1888 a Philadelphia, PA … [Read more...]

4/1/1853 the first salaried fire department was established in Cincinnati, OH; 444 men were hired as part-time firefighters. However, it was not until 1873 that firefighters were hired on a full-time basis and required to remain on duty in the engine houses. 4/1/1896 a … [Read more...]

3/31/1954 the Cleveland Hill School fire and explosion killed fifteen, and injured nineteen sixth-grade students, in Cheektowaga, New York a heavily populated Buffalo suburb. The fire flashed through the eight-classroom 100-foot-long wood-frame annex building just before noon … [Read more...]