This exhibit documents the history of the DC Fire and EMS Department in photos, videos, and oral histories. It is a partnership between the DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Friendship Fire Association. 

 

The first firefighting organizations in Washington, DC were private and volunteer companies that started during the 19th century. In 1864, the United States Congress approved an act to consolidate these companies into a fully paid professional fire department. This decision was implemented in 1871 with the establishment of the District of Columbia Fire Department. 

Horse drawn apparatus were used by the Department until 1911, when the first motorized engine was put into service. Our Apparatus Through the Decades exhibit demonstrates how apparatus has evolved from then until the present. This website also includes photos and videos of Fires By Decade and Historical Events, and tells the story of the Integration of the Department by African Americans and the Women of DC Fire EMS. 

In 1990, the name of the Department was changed to the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department to reflect the significant percentage of call volume – 80 percent – that is calls for EMS, a fact still true today. Our EMS exhibit chronicles the Evolution of EMS in DC.

Today, the Department is one of the largest, most diverse, and best performing fire and EMS Departments in the country that is innovating in each of its disciplines. We hope you will enjoy learning about this 150 year plus evolution on these pages.