Comments by "Sar Jim" (@sarjim4381) on "The Toronto Circus Riot of 1855" video.

  1. What a great story. It was more than just pride for a fire company to be first on the scene, it was a matter of financial incentive. Fire insurance companies would pay for the service of the fire company that first put water on the fire. Brawls between fire companies weren't uncommon in many places in North America. Volunteer fire departments until quite recently didn't have to meet any standards and were always more a social club than professional firefighters. Some even had bars in the back of the stations, and weekend barbeques and drunken parties were part of why men joined the fire company. Changes in how fire insurance companies reimbursed fire departments for putting out fires and the implementation of national fire codes transformed most volunteer fire departments into unpaid professionals. I'm old enough to know some volunteer firefighters who still lament the passing of the social aspects of being a fireman.
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  2. Jim Allen  Very few firefighting companies had the equipment and technology in 1855 to put out a fire. Most fires burned the structure to the foundation. What was insured was mostly the contents, so many fire companies concentrated on salvage and overhaul techniques rather than firefighting, since that's how they got paid by insurance companies. It wasn't until municipal hydrant systems and steam fire pumpers came into widespread usage that firefighters were actually be able to stop structure fires from burning buildings to the ground.
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