Fire trucks in comics

Fire trucks come in many shapes and sizes. Who wasn't fascinated by these beautiful red cars in the past and who didn't want to become a fireman or a woman when he or she was a child?

You see cars of that kind appear regularly at old-timer events. Very nice to see and hear because on those days the sirens will also be used, just like the blue flashing lights. It is noisy but it is part of it. Because a fire truck without a siren is just like a rooster that doesn't crow. You rarely come across a whole range of different cars. Or it should be in a museum. For example the Louwman Museum. There are various types arranged in a large hall. There is a Fire Museum in Wassenaar. However, that is not so great that cars can stand. In the Wassenaar Fire Museum you can find all kinds of attributes that people used to fight the fire with. Fire pumps that had to be operated by hand. Those pumps also had to be carried to the fire first. You can imagine that fire caused mixed feelings earlier in the winter. It was necessary as heating, but in cities that were largely built with houses and buildings that were very flammable, it could quickly lead to catastrophes. In this way a large part of the old London has been lost.

At the moment there is an extra exhibition in the Brandweermuseum. All kinds of fragments have been collected from all kinds of comic strips, which relate to the fire brigade. Many of them show all kinds of fire engines. Nice! The exhibition is not that big but the entrance is free. You can go until 25 in March and the opening times are: Thursday to Sunday from 12 to 16 hours. The location is Raadhuis de Pauw, Raadhuislaan 22 in Wassenaar. The Fire Museum is also open for visitors on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, go to www.brandweermuseumwassenaar.nl

Text and photo: Jacques van den Bergh