The New Orleans Fire Department first began in 1829 when a group of men organized a volunteer fire department. This organization became known as the Fireman's Charitable Association and was in service for 62 years until the New Orleans Fire Department emerged in 1891. The New Orleans Fire Department is a multi-response class 1 department currently serving 378,715 people living in 350 square mile area which includes 170 square miles of water.
Engine 40 was put in service in 1925 and was moved five times before finding its current engine house in 1961. Situated in Algiers on the Westbank of New Orleans, Engine 40 is one of five apparatus that serve within the city's 8th fire district. Engine 40 continually ranks within the cities top 10 responding companies for total call volume and dutifully carries out the departments mission statement to "respond to all emergency situations in the city of New Orleans and to protect and save life and property."
