Fire Department Decals

Fire department decals are a great way for the professional firefighter or the awed admirer to show his or her respect for the blaze battling men and women of America's fire departments. You'd have to be a little nuts to rush into a burning building, wouldn't you? Maybe not. Firefighters know that without them, our towns and cities would soon turn to ash. Firefighters are completely essential and too often overlooked. Fire department decals are an excellent, if small, way to display your gratitude to firefighters everywhere.

Before Fire Department Decals

Before there were fire department decals, there had to be a fire department. Throughout history, there have been efforts to get fires under control. Before the fire hydrant, large cisterns of water sat at intervals through many cities. Volunteer bucket brigades would attempt to bring this water to an ignited structure fast enough to prevent disaster.

Disaster often won out. In the past, houses made of wood ignited quickly. And since people used open flames for heat and for cooking, fires were all too commonplace. Fires played a devastating hand in shaping the early lives of almost every great American city. Eventually, paid departments were formed. Prevention efforts and firefighting technology both improved.

Today, out-of-control urban fires are a rarity. It's mountain flames like in Southern California that give firefighters the most trouble. Other dangerous fires didn't exist in the past. Toxic chemicals, petroleum, and radioactive material all pose new, deadly threats to firefighters around the globe. High-rise buildings are another challenge that old-time firefighters never had to face. As firefighting has evolved, so, it seems, has fire itself.