Later, in 1658, he organized 8 young men to become the first fire alarm patrol or "system". They were called the "Rattle Watch". They patrolled the streets at night looking for fires. If they found a fire they would sound the alarm by whirling a rattle device like the one in the picture to the left. The noise would wake up the neighbors. Later laws were passed that required all households to provide one leather bucket, "well oiled", for the purpose of fighting fires. There where no fire engines in those days. At the sound of the alarm, the people would throw their fire buckets into the street for the fighters to use. The firefighters would gather up the buckets and form a line from a place where they could get water. |
