Savannah Archives: Savannah first in nation to have fully motorized fire department

Police and Fire vehicles are some of the most recognizable automobiles on the road. As we continue our Autos in the Archives series, we bring you some of our favorite images of Savannah’s public safety vehicles.

Nationally, the first motorized police vehicles were on the road by 1900, replacing bicycles and horse-drawn buggies as police officers needed a way to keep up with criminals who increasingly used automobiles.

The Savannah Police Department began integrating motorized vehicles into the force in 1913 with the introduction of motorcycles. In 1914, they set up a motorcycle substation in Thomas Square, and along with an officer on motorcycle at headquarters, officers could more quickly respond to calls throughout the city via motorcycle than before.

More from the Savannah Archive:

• A memorial to WWI, Victory Drive is one of the longest avenues of palms in US
• Great Savannah auto races and how cars fueled the civil rights movement
• As parking needs grew, some parking garages that went up also came down

Within the following decades, the force utilized a variety of auto types, including patrol cars and mobile crime labs.

Fire trucks got their start as horse-drawn hand-pumped basins that could be filled with water by a “bucket brigade” and then manually pumped onto a fire.

Eventually steam powered pumps replaced manual force, and then in the 20th century internal combustion powered fire trucks equipped with ladders enabled firefighters to fight ever bigger fires on taller buildings.

In 1911, the Savannah Fire Department ordered its first auto-combination chemical wagon from American LaFrance Fire Engine Company. It was so successful that the department ordered another 11 motorized apparatuses, making Savannah the first fully motorized fire department in the nation.

To explore the City of Savannah’s Municipal Archives and discover more images documenting City departments visit: savannahga.gov/745/Explore-the-Collections.

City of Savannah Municipal Archives, Archives@savannahga.gov, Discover the Archives: savannahga.gov/MunicipalArchives.