Nozzle for the end of a hose, 1959 Prop.169.1 Axe pouch, 1960s Prop.169.13 Crank for unwinding the hose, 1960s T.1975.30.c
Courtesy of Culture and Sport Glasgow (Museums)“It was very important to be able to access the equipment quickly … We checked it twice a day, at the start of every shift.”
Willie Wilson, former Glasgow Fire Service Officer
Hopefully we’re living a lot longer now, because the lifespan of a fire officer in these days was something like 11 years, so you’re looking at a fire officer retiring at say 45 years, he was lucky if he would see 50, 55.
I remember people leaving flowers and tributes at the Firefighter statue on the corner of Hope Street after the September 11th attacks. It really made me think of firemen as part of a global family.
Are you surprised that firemen carried axes? Do you think they have to carry more equipment now than they used to?
When you arrived at a fire you began blasting water onto it with the water stored in the appliance. But if you didn’t know where the hydrants, standpipe, the right kind of adapter, key and bar, etc, were, the water would eventually run out. The water coming out of the hose protects the fireman. So he’d have to make a retreat. It was life threatening. Some branches had a spray and a jet, to keep the smoke away.
