Historically, it was circa May of 1807, when the city formed its’ first volunteer fire fighting unit. The Nashville Fire Department was organized as a paid department on July 24, 1860, with John S. Dashiell as its first chief. The first horse drawn steam fire engine was called the “Hamilton,” named after Mr. J. M. Hamilton, who was a prominent hardware man of the time. Two other horse drawn engines, the “Eclipse”, and the “Deluge” were also in service. In 1861, a hook and ladder company were added to Nashville’s growing fire department. Nashville put its’ first motorized fire engine in service in 1912.
