History
After a fire in Zichron Yaakov in 1897, the first firefighting company was established by the Baron Rothschild. The company had 32 members, and equipment was brought from Paris, including pumps, hoses, ladders, axes and uniforms with shiny copper helmets and leather belts.
Another company was formed in Tel Aviv in 1925 following a flood in the Brenner neighbourhood, and was based in the first dedicated fire station in the country, a shed near the police station. By Israeli independence in 1948 there were fire stations in most Jewish settlements; Petah Tikva, Jerusalem, Haifa, Hadera, Rehovot, Nahariya, Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Afula, Herzliya, Kfar Sava, Holon, Netanya and Rishon LeZion.
After the establishment of the State of Israel, fire stations were built in several other cities, including Acre and Beersheba, at Lod Airport, the oil refineries in Haifa and at the ports of Haifa and Ashdod.
The Firefighting Services Law was passed in 1959 and took effect in 1960. It established a fully professional fire fighting force, as until then, firefighters had previously been volunteers.
Israel Fire and Rescue Services operates 5 fire stations in Jerusalem. The main station is in Givat Mordechai, with branches in Romema, Wadi Joz, Givat Ram and Neve Ya'akov.
Read more about this topic: Israel Fire And Rescue Services
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