Boston firefighter shirts are a fitting way to pay tribute to the men and women who routinely risk life and limb to keep their city and the country from going up in smoke. Boston Fire Department shirts bear a simple logo, which not only speaks volumes but is also nicely stylish. The Internet is great place to track down Boston firefighter shirts as well as firefighter gear from other great fire departments.

Boston Firefighter Shirts and Firefighting History

Boston has a long and storied history of fires which have helped to shape the city over the years. So important is fire in the history of Boston that books have been written on that subject alone. A recent addition to the literature, "Boston on Fire," was written by Stephanie Schorow and published in 2003. Schorow knows the city well after years as Boston Herald reporter.

Boston, founded in 1630, sits on a narrow peninsula. Fires have devastated the city with stunning regularity. As firefighting methods have improved, it seems that so has the genius of the flames. The first settlers viewed fires as a sign of God's wrath. Several 17th century fires kept them feeling guilty and kept them busy rebuilding their new city. Two 19th century fires stand out in the record books. First, the 1834 Ursuline convent fire, and then, of course, the Great Fire of 1872, which raged for 15 hours and destroyed over 60 acres of buildings.

More recent fires of note include the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in 1942, the Vendome Hotel collapse of 1972, and a string of arson fires in the 1980s. Perhaps because of its vulnerability, Boston installed the first citywide system of fire alarms in the U.S. The Hunneman fire engine is also a Boston-born innovation. Order Boston firefighter shirts online and become a part of Boston's firefighting history.