History of BFD from booklet (issued 1945):
"The motto of our city as contained on the City Seal is "Sicut Patribus, Sit Deus Nobis," which means, "As with our Fathers, so God be with us." This slogan comes from the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson...For 192 years after its foundation Boston remained under the town form of government. Boston grew from a straggling village to a thriving seaport of about 45,000 inhabitants in this period of time, most people of that day living on the water front or in the area between Beacon Hill and the Harbor. Several efforts were made to change the town to a city and in 1784, 1792, 1804 and 1815 plans for incorporation were submitted to the voters but were rejected. Finally, on January 7, 1822, by a vote of 2,805 against 2,006, Boston became the first city in the Commonwealth as well as the largest, remaining as the only city in Massachusetts until the incorporation of Salem in 1835. Under the town form of government there were 30 firewards listed as city officials, along with the School Committee, Overseers of the Poor, etc. Subsequent improvements in the city government took place by the charters of 1854, 1885, 1909. Under the new charter of 1822, fire wards were elected by the voters, three from each ward, and thus the fire wards constituted a board of 36
men without any head. Volunteer fire companies existed, the members of which were exempt from militia and jury duty. The equipment consisted of hand engines, hose, ladders, buckets, etc., all of which were furnished by the city. The companies were controlled by the Board of Firewards, which not only had power to order citizens to assist in extinguishing fires, but also to regulate the construction of buildings and the storing of powder. The efficiency of the fire companies chiefly depended upon the aid of the inhabitants applied under the authority of the firewards. They formed lanes of by-standers who by their direction passed buckets of water from pumps or wells in the vicinity to the engines playing on the fire, and returned them for further supply. Buildings, although mostly of wood, were widely separated by gardens or yards, so that great conflagrations were uncommon. Mayor Quincy, the second Mayor of Boston, attempted to better the system of fire protection. Members of the old volunteer organizations resented any proposed change, but a fire occurred in 1825 which in the course of a few hours destroyed 53 houses and stores and caused a loss of half a million dollars. After this fire a law was passed abolishing the old Board of Firewards and transferring its power to a Chief Engineer and his assistants, all of whom were to be appointed by the Mayor and the Aldermen. The act permitting the Mayor to establish a new fire department, when submitted to the voters, was approved by a majority of only 183 votes. The first Chief Engineer of the Boston Fire Department vfas Samuel D. Harris, who served without salary. The men still remained as unpaid volunteer bodies, and he believed that they would be more willing to trust an unpaid leader. In 1837 the Broad Street Riot took place, in which various fire companies were involved, and as a result of this situation Mayor Eliot believed that better discipline and obedience could be mamtained in the department by use of a small force of paid firemen. Accordingly, in due course of time the city made an allowance by way of compensation for $150 a year for Assistant Engineers and .|65 a year for privates, the Chief Engineer receiving a salary of $1,000 per year. These positions were part-time jobs. In 1845 the pay of the privates was raised to ?80 per year and in 1851 it was increased to $100
a year. A new water system was installed in the City of Boston, and under an invention by William F.Channing, a citizen of Boston, a new system of telegraph fire alarms came into being. The first steam fire engine was introduced in 1855 and, although not at first regarded as practical, several years later the records show that there were purchased two additional steam engines in 1858 and four more in 1859. Expenditures for fire protection increased somewhat in the first years of the Civil War on account of the larger pay given to the regular force and to the construction of engine houses during that period. Following the Great Boston Fire on November 9, 1872, expenses of the Fire Department increased from $491,394 in 1871 to $812,205 in 1873. After the Boston Fire, strong criticism was directed against the Chief of the Fire Department (Chief Damrell), but it deserves to be recorded that his work during the fire was approved by the Chief Engineers of eastern Massachusetts at a meeting called to review the conduct of the Fire Department. Within a few months several other fires occurred, however, including one which on Memorial Day, 1873, burned over two acres of land and destroyed property to the value of $1,000,000, including many important buildings. Thereupon, an ordinance was passed which gave the Mayor power to appoint three paid Fire Commissioners at the approval of the City Council, the Commissioners to hold office for three years. The new Commissioners completed their work of reorganization of the Fire Department by 1874.
For some unexplained reason it appears in 1877 there occurred not only a decrease in the number of fire fighters in the department but also a reduction in their salary. In the year 1880 a pension system for disabled and infirm firemen saw its beginning, and provision was made for annuities to the families of firemen who were killed while performing their duty. The amount allowed as pensions was one half the salary to a man who became incapacitated while fighting fire and not more than one third of the salary to one who had become disabled for other reasons. Members of the call force were eligible for pensions provided they had served fifteen consecutive years. In 1887 the department numbered 690 men, of whom 300 were call men. In 1908 the number rose to 1,000, in 1921 to 1,170, in 1943 to 1,343 in the fire fighting force. The control of the Fire Department remained in the hands of three Commissioners until 1895, when a single Commissioner was substituted by legislation for the three man board. There had been a good deal of legislative interference with the Fire Department on one pretext or another, and the appointment of a single Commissioner did much to reduce it and to promote efficiency. On December 8, 1905, firemen were granted one day off in every five; on February 1, 1918, one day off in every three; and the two-platoon system was placed in operation February 1, 1924. The Fire Department was completely motorized October 18, 1923. Salary Schedule (Maximum) for Privates 1920 $1,800.00 per annum 1925. 2,000.00 per annum 1928 2,100.00 per annum 1943. 2,300.00 per annum 1944 2,500.00 per annum."
