Education - FDNY History

A Quick History of the FDNY - by Peter Rothenberg and Geoff Giglierano
Chapter 1: Begining With a Blaze	Chapter 8: The Process of Professionalization
Chapter 2: The First Fire Engines	Chapter 9: Faster and Better in a Changing City
Chapter 3: Competition	Chapter 10: Covering More Ground
Chapter 4: Hear the Loud Alarm Bells	Chapter 11: Firefighting Starts Becoming a Science
Chapter 5: Pumpers and Politics	Chapter 12: Larger Events Affect the Department
Chapter 6: Decline of the Volunteer System	Chapter 13: FDNY and Times of Social Upheaval
Chapter 7: Volunteer Department's Demise	Chapter 14 The Job Goes On

Chapter 7: Volunteer Department's Demise

"There are 4000 irresponsible and badly organized men; they must necessarily be less efficient in the performance of their duty, and become the destroyers instead of the savers of property."
Judge Lawrence speaking to the NY State Legislature, 1865

On March 30, 1865 The Metropolitan Fire Department, a paid organization, was established by New York 's state legislature, replacing the old Volunteer Department. Many New Yorkers had complained for a long time that they were not getting proper protection from the volunteers. They blamed the volunteers' fighting and resistance to change and pointed out that embezzlement and highly paid department officers were costing the city more than a paid department would. Reformers hoped that paid fire fighters would focus all their attention and energy in putting out fires.