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James Braidwood (1800–1861) founded the world's first municipal fire service in Edinburgh in 1824, and was the first director of the ''London Fire Engine Establishment'' (the brigade which was eventually to become the London Fire Brigade). He is credited with the development of the modern municipal fire service.〔(The foundations of the modern fire service, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service )〕 ==Life== He was born in Edinburgh the tenth child of Francis James Braidwood a cabinetmaker, and Janet Mitchell. He was educated at the Royal High School. He learned about the construction of buildings after joining his father's building firm as an apprentice, knowledge he was later to put to good use. Appointed Master of Fire Engines at the age of twenty-four, just two months prior to the Great Fire of Edinburgh, Braidwood established principles of fire-fighting that are still applied today. His training as a surveyor gave him exceptional knowledge of the behaviour of building materials and housing conditions in the Old Town of Edinburgh. He recruited to the service expert tradesmen – slaters, carpenters, masons and plumbers – who could apply their various fields of expertise to fire fighting. He also recruited experienced mariners for an occupation that required heavy manual work in hauling engines and trundling wheeled escape ladders up and down Edinburgh's steep streets, as well as nimble footwork when negotiating rooftops and moving through partially destroyed buildings. His many original ideas of practical organisation and methodology, published in 1830, were adopted throughout Britain. He was, however, resistant to the introduction of steam-driven engines. In 1833 he left Edinburgh to lead the London Fire Engine Establishment. Braidwood was distinguished for his heroism on the occasion of great fires in Edinburgh (1824) and London (1830). He also undertook a pastoral role, introducing visits to ordinary firemen and their families by the London City Mission. As a strange curiosity, Braidwood was the first witness at the trial of William Burke of Burke and Hare fame. He gave evidence on Christmas Eve of 1828, in his capacity as an Edinburgh builder, who had been commissioned by the authourities to draw scale plans of the notorious lodging house on Tanners Close where the murders took place. His evidence was simple to state that the plans were an accurate representation of the building.〔The Infamous Burke and Hare: Serial Killers and Resurrectionists of 19th Century Edinburgh, by R Michael Gordon p.103 ISBN 978-0-7864-4403-8〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James Braidwood (firefighter)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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