Best firetruck this week... a Jeep!

Found on http://offroadaction.ca/2014/02/23/from-the-archives-163/54-2/

almost as cool,

from http://offroadaction.ca/2011/04/06/from-the-archives-84/

possible origin of the fire truck... a Roman extortionist

In the early days of Rome a real estate investor/ extortionist named Crassus used a team of firefighters in an effective scheme. There was no public firefighting service at that time, so when a building was on fire, Crassus and his team would show up with their water pump. Before fighting the fire, Crassus would make a very low offer on the building, and to neighboring building owners. If the owners refused, Crassus let the building burn and spread to neighboring buildings, and would later make an even lower offer. If the owner agreed to sell the property, the firefighters would try to put the fire out. Crassus became very wealthy with this scheme, owned a good portion of the city of Rome, bought his way into political office, and ruled Rome as Triumvirate with Pompey and Julius Caesar.

found on http://patentpending.blogs.com/patent_pending_blog/2005/06/the_fire_truck.html

The Rolls Royce of fire engines, the Ahrens Fox

Photos from, and found on http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/03/06/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1928-ahrens-fox-n-s-4-fire-engine/

Seagrave Safety Sedan, restored by the Detroit fire dept volunteers, to be used as a fire dept hearse

I remember finding out about this a couple years ago, but was unable then to find anything out about it.
These images are found on http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjb4photos/8061362709/in/set-72157627006001214/

Fire fighting is a dangerous feat, and in the 1920s it was far more difficult, and hard to see, so firemen had a portable generator and flood light rig made

 a mobile generator 10kW, five kilowatt lamp stationary and portable eight, 400 watt. Plus 500 feet of wire for these remote spotlights

Found on http://strangernn.livejournal.com/865110.html