Horse-drawn fire service hose wagons, a common piece of apparatus used by Canadian and American fire departments during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, prior to motorization. The wagon features large, reinforced wooden wheels, a long open bed for equipment, and an elevated driver’s seat at the front.
Crews would rapidly deliver several hundred feet of hose to fire hydrants or cisterns, enabling firefighters to establish water supply as soon as possible.
In many cities—including London—the hose wagon often arrived ahead of the steam engine because it was lighter and faster, allowing crews to begin stretching lines, hooking to hydrants, and preparing attack streams.
