Newscasters issued frequent reminders throughout the weekend that in addition to turning our clocks back, we should check the batteries in our smoke alarms. This is a very worthy way to remind us of something that’s important, but it reminded me of a piece I wrote last spring about the New York City Fire Museum.
I learned many things while visiting there, but one of them concerned how very much communities worried about the dangers of a fire starting. Night watchmen–community volunteers–walked around town while people slept, remaining alert for any sign of fire:
“One of the purposes of night watchmen in communities was being alert for fires. If a watchman spotted flames, he set in action his watchman’s rattle to awaken the community to come to fight the fire. With many buildings made of wood, fire was a full-out community emergency.”
For more about fire-fighting methods of the past, read “New York City Fire Museum: A Hidden Gem.”