Overview
This museum is located in the heart of the Historic Center of the city and awaits visitors in the dependencies of the Fire Department Headquarters of Santiago.
It was inaugurated on June 30, 1980, with the mission of highlighting the importance of services provided by volunteers, the city and the country in the nineteenth century. Over the years, the show expanded, thanks to the contribution of Companies and Volunteers.
The Fireman Museum survived the earthquake of 1985 and could continue operate until the February 2010 earthquake, which seriously affected its facilities. After the reconstruction of the General Headquarters and thanks to the Patrimony Fund of the National Council of Culture and the Arts, the Fire Department began the efforts to enable the exhibition again.
Thus, thanks to the Legacy Bicentennial project, the restoration process began, in addition to the conservation and restoration of the collections, with a view to opening the community, a space to value and pay homage to the past, present and future of the Fire Department of Santiago.
It was declared a Historical Monument on January 19, 1983 and reopened in May 2017.
History
The building of the Fire Brigade of Santiago (CBS) dates from 1863 and was built on the grounds that corresponded to the land of Dona Inés de Suarez, conqueror of Chile with Pedro de Valdivia.
It was built for the hussar regiment. After the Fire of Compañia de Jesus Church in 1863, brought about the formation of the first fire companies in the city, the building was donated to the Firemen by the Government of the time. At the end of the nineteenth century, the construction was completely refurbished by the German architect Adolph Möller, and the new design incorporated the tower of 37 meters, built by Fermín Vivaceta, to hang from it a bell of eight tons, commissioned to the United States by Enrique Meiggs. From then until the middle of the XX century, the bell gave the fire alarm in the city.
Permanent Collection
The exhibition is organized in 8 themes and incorporates innovative interactive and audiovisual resources, which allow visitors to connect with all the value of the heritage displayed.
The themes are:
-Fire and Water
-The Firemen in Chile
-The Santiago Fire Department
-Material Major and Minor and its evolution over time
-The Teams: uniforms and helmets
-Because I am a Firefighter: vocation and volunteering.
-Martyrs Hall
-more than throwing water specialties.
Santo Domingo, 978, Santiago.