Corbett's Trivia

Glenn Corbett, PE, is the former assistant chief of the Waldwick (NJ) Fire Department, an assistant professor of fire science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, and a technical editor for Fire Engineering. He recently served on the Federal Advisory Committee of the National Construction Safety Team and is a member of the Fire Code Advisory Council for New Jersey. He is the coauthor of the late Francis L. Brannigan's Building Construction for the Fire Service, 4th Edition, editor of the upcoming Fire Engineering's Handbook for Firefighter I and II, and an FDIC Executive Advisory Board member.

 

Past Trivia

Corbett's Trivia: Theater Fire Deaths

Where were the most people killed in the Brooklyn Theater Fire of 1876 and the Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903?

Corbett's Trivia: Odorizing Natural Gas

What incident led to the widespread use of mercaptan as an odorant for natural gas?

Corbett's Trivia: Purple Heart Award

Who were the only civilian firefighters ever awarded the Purple Heart?

Corbett's Trivia: Cellar Pipe

Who invented a cellar pipe for which a patent application was filed on December 15th, 1900?

Corbett's Trivia: First Steam Fire Engine

What was the name of the first steam fire engine constructed by Cincinnati builders Abel Shawk and Alexander Bonner Latta?

Corbett's Trivia: FEMA

What year was the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) created?

Corbett's Trivia: Pumper Pressure

What was the maximum operating pressure rating of a typical John Bean high-pressure fog pumper?

Corbett's Trivia: All-Powered Aerial Ladder Hoist

Which apparatus manufacturer developed the first all-powered aerial ladder hoist?

Corbett's Trivia: Fire Coat Visibility

Who introduced the first set of striping on a fire coat for visibility purposes?

Corbett's Trivia: Post-Civil War Gift

What gift did the New York City Exempt Firemen's Association give to the city of Columbia, South Carolina soon after the Civil War?

Corbett's Trivia: Great Fire of Jacksonville, FL

In what year did the "Great Fire of Jacksonville" (FL) occur?

Corbett's Trivia: Two-Wheeled Hose Carts

What were two-wheeled hose carts called in the 19th century?

Corbett's Trivia: Sign of Authority

What object did the fire wardens of early American cities carry that identified their authority at a fire scene?

Corbett's Trivia: Speaking Trumpets

When did speaking trumpets make their first appearance on insignia as a symbol of authority?

Corbett's Trivia: Fire Alarm Telegraph System

In a fire alarm telegraph system, which signal was transmitted faster--the joker or the gong signal?