The Fire Service in the United States officially dates back to 1736, even before this great Republic was founded. Benjamin Franklin––a former Massachusetts Bay Colonist–– co-founded the Union Fire Company, also known as the Bucket Brigade, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This all-volunteer force of 26 men marked the beginning of organized public fire protection in America. Unlike earlier efforts that focused on protecting private property, the Union Fire Company adopted a whole-community approach to fire and public safety. Franklin advocated for this model after a ship fire on the docks spread to nearby homes that were not covered by private Fire Services. His vision underscored the importance of a communal responsibility in protecting lives and property from fire. With the establishment of the Union Fire Company, several Bucket Brigades and other small scale fire organizations began to develop all over the 13 Original Colonies in promotion of public and fire safety.

The Lowell Fire Department

In the early 19th Century,  before Lowell was incorporated as a city, fire protection existed primarily in the form of the Lowell United Fire Society’s buckets.  For each adult male, a leather fire bucket was required to be kept at hand, in the event of a fire.  The citizens were the FireFighters.  Fire wards, prominent community men, were appointed in the town of Lowell in 1826 and given absolute authority to command in time of fire and the power to fine for refusal.

When fire wards met on the first Monday of March 1829, they decided the time had come to establish a Fire Department.  One thousand dollars was approved to purchase a fire engine for the town and inquire about the legal establishment of the department.  Within a month an agreement with Thayer of Boston was established for a suction engine at a cost of $650.  At 86 cents per foot 250 feet of hose was purchased from a Mr. Boyd of Boston.  The April town meeting appointed the fire wards to build a house for the new engine and keep ladders and hooks.  Lowell’s first firehouse was built on Locks and Canals Land on Central Street, in what is now the heart of downtown Lowell, and the engine called “Niagara” took up residence.

On February 6, 1830, by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature the Fire Department was established for the town of Lowell. That same year the first bylaws of Lowell Engine One were published, though no formal company of men existed until 1832.  The Board of Engineers was established in 1832 and Lowell became a city in 1836.  In 1842 men performing fire duty were awarded twenty cents per hour, the first monetary compensation for serving.  By 1843 as many as thirteen engines were in the city, but the majority were still privately owned by mills to protect their property.  Between 1850 and 1851 hydrant pipes were laid and connected to the Belvidere reservoir, providing a water supply from the Locks and Canals Corporation.  Until city water was introduced in December 1872, private water and standing reservoirs were the only source of water for firefighting.

The first steam-powered fire engine was purchased in 1859 and the first permanent firemen to drive and maintain them soon followed. In 1864 only one of the engines remained privately owned and the transition to a municipal department was near complete. Two more steamers were added in 1866 and in 1868 the department did away with hand-powered engines for front line service. The system of Steam Engines, Hose Companies and a Ladder Truck was now firmly established in the city by the 1870s. With heavier apparatus, horses began their period of prominence in the department with their numbers increasing through the start of the twentieth century.

The fire alarm telegraph came to Lowell in 1871 improving the method of alerting fire companies to respond.  The telegraph box replaced a system of ringing the ward section of the city on the Market House bell and led to designated response areas for each company, a practice still in use today.  Through the latter half of the nineteenth century the department embraced new technologies with Chief Engineers advocating for chemical engines, fire extinguishers, horse drawn carriages, stop and spray nozzles, cotton jacketed rubber hose and a water tower.  The threat of fire to life and livelihood was real in the densely populated city and the department was successful in obtaining the necessary advances in firefighting capabilities.  New firehouse construction began in 1875 and remained steady to serve the growing city into the 1920s.  Many of the stations built still operate to this day.  Attendance at conferences, professional networking between departments, mutual aid response and the need for a full time staffed departments were concepts that gained prominence as well.  By 1898 the use of company names and antiquated titles of foreman, assistant foreman and clerk were abandoned.  Companies were designated by task and number, and the titles of Captains and Lieutenants were firmly established.

At the start of the twentieth century a majority of the department became full time paid members with many members residing in the stations in a paramilitary structure.  With the continued growth of the city came an increase in the need for service.  The number of calls topped 1000 for the first time in 1910, the same year the first motorized apparatus was added.  The department embraced motorization and by 1925 the last horse drawn apparatus responded.  Prevention became a new focus of the department, as the causes of fires were tracked, many found to be the result of carelessness or worse, arson.  The department was at the forefront in advocating for tougher building standards, regulation of flammable materials and increased the inspections of hazardous conditions.

The department became entirely permanent in 1920 and FireFighters began to achieve gains in better working hours.  Firefighting grew into a respected profession through the dedicated work of FireFighters.  Better equipment advances led to the addition of stronger aerial ladder trucks, larger pumps on engines and the ability to carry water, a pump, and hose on the same engine, thus eliminating the need for separate hose companies. However, as the city aged and the economy rose and fell with the city’s industries, fires became more prominent.  In the latter half of the twentieth century entire neighborhoods became blighted and suffered their rash of fires.  Whether it was Little Canada, Hale-Howard, The Acre or Lower Centralville, all of Lowell’s neighborhoods were impacted by fire, many times the result of arson.  With the collapse of manufacturing in Lowell, many of the city’s mills would fall as the result of fire.

Today the Lowell Fire Department responds to over 10,000 calls for service annually. With fire alarm systems, sprinklers and more stringent codes, fires have decreased, yet the job and responsibilities of a Lowell FireFighter has diversified and increased.  Today in addition to fires the department responds to medical emergencies, hazardous materials and rescue calls of every type.  With the threat of terrorism, domestic preparedness has become yet another challenge for Lowell FireFighters.  Inspection programs and public education are now important avenues for FireFighters to help prevent fires.  The standing army to protect the public, advocated by Chief Engineers almost one hundred and fifty years ago, is a reality and the city is a better place for the service its FireFighters have, and will continue to perform for strangers, at a moment’s notice.  

("Text and Images courtesy of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America: Lowell Firefighting by Jason Strunk copyright 2006")

IAFF LOCAL 853

For those unfamiliar with unions, the importance of this legacy might not be immediately clear. Labor unions, like the IAFF, are organizations where workers unite to fight for common goals, such as safer working conditions, fair pay, and reasonable hours. The roots of the labor movement in America stretch back to the late 18th century, when groups like the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers in Pennsylvania fought for fair compensation. Early unions often faced opposition from employers and the government. Some members were even prosecuted for their efforts to organize, yet their perseverance laid the foundation for the unions we know today.

As the Industrial Revolution swept across the 19th-century United States, factory work became more common, but protections for workers were scarce. Cities like Lowell, Massachusetts, became industrial centers, with factories like the Lawrence Mills exploiting workers through long hours, low wages, and unsafe conditions. Strikes, like the 1834 mill workers’ protest, attempted to improve these circumstances but often failed without sufficient support.

Despite these setbacks, the labor movement grew stronger, culminating in the formation of influential unions like the Knights of Labor, founded in 1869. By the 1880s, this union had grown to over 700,000 members, though internal strife and violent strikes eventually led to its decline. Out of the chaos of the early labor movement rose the American Federation of Labor (AFL), which united skilled laborers from across the country.

While many unions formed in response to private industry, public service sectors, like firefighting, also organized. The IAFF emerged as a critical force in advocating for the rights of professional FireFighters. Firefighting, a dangerous job by nature, was historically a volunteer effort until 1853, when Cincinnati, Ohio, established the first professional Fire Department. Following this precedent, other cities began to form full-time Fire Services. However, early professional FireFighters faced harsh working conditions, including long hours, low pay, political favoritism, and inadequate equipment.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, localized FireFighter unions were forming across North America. Many of these unions aligned with the AFL, even though firefighting was traditionally seen as unskilled labor. With the AFL’s support, these localized efforts eventually coalesced into a national organization—the IAFF. On February 28, 1918, 36 delegates from 24 FireFighter locals, including Boston, MA, gathered in Washington, D.C., to form an international union dedicated to protecting professional FireFighters.

At this historic convention, discussions centered around creating a union magazine–– The International FireFighter–– officer salaries, and common goals. The organization’s name was hotly debated, with the IAFF narrowly defeating the proposed name "International Brotherhood of FireFighters." Pittsburgh’s Fire Department, originally AFL Local 11431, became IAFF Local 1 after winning a coin toss against the Chicago Fire Department, which affiliated on the same day. By the end of 1918, 149 locals had joined the IAFF.

Since its creation, the IAFF has fought for FireFighter safety, fair pay, and reasonable working hours. In its first convention, over 20 resolutions were proposed, including pension laws, sprinkler systems requirements, and building code inspections. The IAFF quickly gained influence, and within its first ten years, FireFighter wages nearly doubled.

The IAFF remained active during difficult periods, such as the Great Depression. Despite the economic downturn, the IAFF successfully lobbied for fire station repairs and salary increases through legislation like the National Industrial Recovery Act. During World War II, the IAFF contributed to the war effort at home and abroad. Canadian IAFF members helped establish firefighting forces to serve in the UK, and in the U.S., many FireFighters left their posts to enlist, while others repurposed old fire engines for scrap metal to aid the war effort. The IAFF also ensured returning FireFighters with disabilities could continue serving in some capacity.

In the postwar period, on May 26, 1946, the Lowell Fire Department officially became affiliated with the IAFF as Local 853. Less than a year earlier, six Massachusetts FireFighter locals formed the Associated FireFighters of Massachusetts (AFFM), with Local 853 joining on September 10, 1947. In 1976, the organization was renamed the Professional FireFighters of Massachusetts (PFFM), a name it still holds today. Over the decades, Local 853 has become a key player in Massachusetts’ labor movement, earning a reputation as one of the Commonwealth’s most respected unions.

Over the years, the Lowell Fire Department has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the Nation. However, even with our strong legacy, we have faced challenging times, including significant layoffs, firehouse shutdowns, denied raises, political appointments and even–– believe it or not–– the removal of our beds. Despite these difficulties, the support of Local 853, the Professional FireFighters of Massachusetts (PFFM), and the International Association of FireFighters (IAFF) has been crucial in combating unfavorable policies and mitigating their effects. It is undeniable that these organizations have played a key role in shaping the Lowell Fire Department into the powerhouse it is today by steadfastly protecting its members. Through both triumphs and trials, Local 853 has been instrumental in the progress and success of the Lowell Fire Department.