When was the FDNY founded?

Answer 1

Organized fire fighting began in New York in 1648 when the first Fire Ordinance was adopted by the Dutch Settlement of New Amsterdam. When the colonists were organized in 1658, bucket brigades were formed and equipped with 250 leather buckets made by Dutch shoemakers of the colony. It was not until 74 years later, in 1731, that fire brigades were put into service. Faced with the problem of a fast growing colony, the General Assembly established the volunteer Fire Department of the City of New York, in December of 1737. Following the Revolutionary War, in 1865 the Department was reorganized and incorporated as the Fire Department of the City of New York(FDNY). Due to major fires, which resulted in excessive fire losses and a rise in insurance rates, the department was reorganized in 1866 under the command of General Alexander Schaler. Under military discipline, the department began to realize its full potential and fire losses began to generally reduce. The merit system of promotion in the Fire Department was instituted in 1870. New Year's day 1898 heralded the consolidation of the different areas (Brooklyn, Queens etc..) of the city and the beginning of a new era for the Fire Department. All fire forces in the various sections were brought under the unified command of the first Commissioner of the Fire Department. By 1937 all but two volunteer companies were disbanded. Today the Fire Department protects more than 8,000,000 residents in an area of 320 square miles. The uniformed force is under the command of the Chief of Department and consists of more than 11,400 Fire Officers and fire fighters. In addition, the Department includes 2,800 Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics and Supervisors assigned to the Bureau of Emergency Medical Service (EMS), as well as 1200 civilian employees.