A Little Information on the New Orleans Fire Department

In April 1829, a group of men took the first serious step to organize a first class Volunteer Fire Department in New Orleans. For 62 years these volunteers were known as the Firemen's Charitable Association (FCA), until December 15, 1891 when the first paid fire-fighting force, the New Orleans Fire Department came into existence.

The leader of the FCA, Chief Engineer Thomas O'Connor remained in  his position to become the first Chief of the New Orleans Fire Department, bridging the transition, and continuing to lead it for the next twenty years.  The present fire department is deeply rooted in the city of New Orleans and in the saga of the old Volunteers.

Henri Buckman was selected as the foreman and first chartered member of the company. Buckman was also present when the New Orleans Fire Department went into service in 1891. Because of his 62 years of devoted, efficient service to the FCA, Henri Buckman was officially declared the father of the Fire Service in New Orleans.

On February 17, 1892 at 9 pm the first fire fought by the paid New Orleans Fire Department occurred at the corner of Canal and Bourbon Street. Kinked hose lines delayed the attack on the fire which extended to the next building. As at all major fires, a large crowd gathered, among them many volunteer firemen, who pitched in to help out their comrades-in-arms. Leaping over the restraining lines, they straightened the kinked hoses, enabling the fire at A.W. Schwartz' General Store to be extinguished.