Horse-drawn firefighting vehicle – Fire apparatus

Manufacturer: unknown

Place and time of production: Austria-Hungary, 1900

Dimensions (cm): 320 . 150 . 600

Inventory number: Т:11.6

Fires were much more common and dangerous in the past. The houses were mostly wooden, with open fireboxes and low chimneys, which eased the breaking out and quick spreading of the fires. In late 19th century, each larger settlement had a fire station, volunteer firefighters and fire apparatus, which, out of all the firefighting equipment, remained in use the longest. 

The fire apparatus has a metal construction, hand-powered water pump, hose reel and a tank with a capacity of around 200 liters. The water could have been taken from a nearby well, river, canal or a pond. 

The fire apparatus was drawn by two pairs of horses and serviced by six firefighters. Four of them would pump water, one would handle the hose, while the commander would organise the operation. 

The horse-drawn firefighting vehicle – fire apparatus was, together with another seven different vehicles of this type, manufactured in late 19th and early 20th century, were donated to the Museum by Volunteer Firefighting Society Matica from Zemun in 1989.