By applying the technologies of each time, the evolution of the Barcelona Fire Brigade has been parallel to that of the society to whom has always dedicated its efforts. The images show us machines and utensils used by the Barcelona Fire Brigade, that reflect the technological advance resulting from the desire to offer a better service to the citizens. Such as the 22 meter “Porta” staircase that was used at the beginning of the XX century and that, according to sources of that time, it could be set “in just 6 minutes.” The tools and machines have changed, but the firefighters keep working with the same spirit of service and sacrifice that had those pioneers.
The Genoveva, is the name of the most popular vehicle of the Barcelona Fire Brigade. It was acquired between 1921 and 1922 and, along with the rest of Delahaye vehicles that were bought during those years, The Genoveva meant a great modernization of the service. It’s a first-aid fire truck with a pump and an auxiliary tank of 400 liters. After its useful life in the Fire Brigade, Genoveva became one of the attractions of the popular fiestas in Barcelona. You can now see it exhibited at the Espai Bombers i Parc de la Prevenció.
The racord is an important piece of metal that allows connections between the hoses of the fire brigades and the fire hydrants.
The Barcelona Racord is the model used by Barcelona Fire Brigade since its invention. It was designed and produced in a cast in Sabadell and had the peculiarity of having two symmetrical pieces and three components.
In 1969 there was a great fire at the refinery in Escombreras (Cartagena, Spain) and several firemen moved from all over Spain. Since there was no standard model in Spain, they realized that not all fire brigades had a compatible model with the American standard used by the refinery. The Barcelona firefighters soldered their Racords to the refinery’s water points to use the mouthpieces. In recognition for that successful performance, the Barcelona Racord was chosen as a standard in Spain.
In 1974 the fire laboratory activity started in Barcelona and was the first one in Spain. This laboratory was conceived as a research and experimentation center for prevention and extinction systems and advice to industries, people and entities. There could be held tests of the fire resistance of different materials or observe the behavior of extinction products. The Fire Laboratory was active until December 2000.
