Video of the Day: FDNY in the 1930s

The below clip shows the FDNY fighting the 1931 Lower Manhattan Factory building fire, the 1930 Furniture store fire - East Side, and the 1932 Scrap Rubber Fire - Bronx. At this point the department was motorized, having come a long way since organized fire fighting began in 1648.

In the 1600s the department collected fines for dirty chimneys which in turn provided funds for buckets, hooks and ladders. It wasn't until 1731, that fire brigades were put into service - and it was around that time that the Department was incorporated as the Fire Department of the City of New York. Today the FDNY protects more than 8,000,000 residents in an area of 320 square miles...and raises money through calendars!