ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the history of firefighting in the United States through the decades, as well as some of the major events that shaped the modern, all-hazards approach to disaster planning and response. It discusses the expanding role of firefighters in homeland security. Numerous other fires in mental health wards, hospitals, and convalescent and nursing homes throughout the nation brought attention to the need for improved interior fireproof finish materials, minimum egress widths, fireproofing and construction of smoke-free exit corridors and stairways, and centralized dispatch centers. However, that day ended with the nation on its knees; 343 firefighters and 69 other emergency responders died attempting the largest single rescue of people the world had ever seen. After the attack, national attention toward firefighters and all emergency responders were at an all-time high.
