'Fires and Fire-Fighters' Summary

This book is a comprehensive survey of the history of firefighting from ancient Rome to 20th-century New York City. It begins by exploring the evolution of firefighting techniques, equipment, and organization in various countries. The book then describes several famous historical fires and how they were fought. The remainder of the book discusses in greater detail some particular types of fires confronting an urban fire department in 1913, such as hotel, theater, factory, hospital, and school fires, sea port fires, and skyscraper fires. The author also emphasizes the need for high pressure water delivery systems, sprinkler systems, modern apparatus, and proper training for firefighters, and touches on the role of underwriters and salvage corps.