User:Coin945/Stockholm

Stockholm fire signals in 1768

Stockholm has escaped looting and natural disasters, but the city's major scourges have been fires, which in the worst cases have wiped out entire neighborhoods. The population of Stockhom have historically lived in constant fear of a fire coming loose. It was a legitimate fear because the risk of fires in the 16th and 17th century Swedish cities were great. The question was not whether it would burn, but when.

The night watch as every citizen was obliged to stay there well into the 1800s. The worst fire in the history of Stockholm was Clara Brandenburg in 1751, turning into a firestorm and spreading from Riddarfjärden to Södermalm.

Only through fire retardant buildings, organized fire services, better fire fighting equipment and running water from fire hydrants (after 1861) could fires be reduced and maintained. HOwever amongst all the misery that large fires cause in Stockholm, there were also benefits, such as the planning and marketing of new districts through the construction of new neighborhoods and streets which were constructed after the fires' destruction.

Fire protection, fire alarms and fire fighting

Even during the medieval period, the city laws had regulations to prevent the occurrence of fires. In 1661, Stockholm produced its first fire regime. The house's host was required to "let give cry", and so start screaming to indicate that there was burning in the house. The city was divided into districts headed by fire chiefs, and building owners were required to have some fire equipment. For example, in summer the house portal would be filled with water barrels.

Come fire loose rang church bells and the care tower (watch tower) on Brunk Hill was squeezed and hoisted different signals. In Skeppsholmen, there was a case where there was a fire on salute batteries, where a certain number of cannon shots alerted the people in the town that it was burning. In a decree of December 18, 1728 a series of measures were established to provide a warning for an fire. The sighting of unusual smoke would be immediately alerted to the master or mistress (otherwise it was fine), which would then be passed on to the churches to see if they agree with the tower guardian. In such a case, in every neighborhood in which there would be fire at night, this system would alert the watchmen in the towers. Later, they used the particular church bells, flags and cannon shots to warn of a fire. A fire at Södermalm required two signals. At Norrmalm, Kungsholmen and Blasieholmen three signals were used. The Old Town had four, and on the island of Djurgården five rings were sounded.

In 1731 established a solid brandvaktskår , the precursor to Stockholm fire . Fire union was funded by the city treasury and also patrolled at night, but the "care" or night-watch that every citizen was required to keep, were well into the 1800s. [4]

In 1746 established Fire and försäkringscontoiret in Stockholm who supported the city's fire safety through grants to include water and better insurance policy for stone. In 1828 founded the city's public Stood Fire Company . The company's board had its seat in the Ship's Bridge 20 .

In 1875 appeared a new fire regime of Stockholm, who first became a professional fire department . Stockholm would have seven fire stations, two main stations, one in Norrmalm and one in Södermalm. [7] Before this there was certainly eldsläckningsmanskap, but it was male volunteers who put up the fires. Instead of earlier times knell set fire telegraphs.