Collection
The Fire Hall Museum & Education Centre’s collection includes a wide range of firefighting equipment including dress uniforms, bunker and turnout gear, helmets, life safety equipment, hand tools such as axes and jaws of life, ladders, fire hydrants, fire hose, communication gear such as radios and walkie talkies, fire extinguishers, alarm bells, and much more! A small selection of artifacts in the museum's collection are shown below - there's lots more!
The collection primarily relates to firefighting in the City of Cambridge and its predecessor communities of Galt, Preston and Hespeler, but the Museum also has an extensive collection of shoulder patches and many helmets from fire services across Ontario, Canada, the United States and cities from around the world.
For researchers, the Museum has an archive encompassing thousands of photographs, video tapes, newspaper clippings, documents, firefighter training materials, and library reference books about firefighting in Cambridge and beyond.
The collection primarily relates to firefighting in the City of Cambridge and its predecessor communities of Galt, Preston and Hespeler, but the Museum also has an extensive collection of shoulder patches and many helmets from fire services across Ontario, Canada, the United States and cities from around the world.
For researchers, the Museum has an archive encompassing thousands of photographs, video tapes, newspaper clippings, documents, firefighter training materials, and library reference books about firefighting in Cambridge and beyond.
Some of the Artifacts in the Museum's Collection
Doug Johnston Fire Library
Thanks to the late Doug Johnston, a fire buff and friend of the museum, we have an extensive reference library of books about the history of firefighting, emergency service vehicles, and firematic collectibles. The Museum is not a lending library, but we’ll be pleased to make these resources available to people researching the history of firefighting. Please email us at info@firehallmuseum.ca to book an appointment.
Want to Donate an Artifact?
If you have an object(s) you would like the Fire Hall Museum & Education Centre to consider for donation to our collection, please contact us at info@firehallmuseum.ca. The Museum does not purchase artifacts.
We collect objects that are relevant to the museum’s mission to preserve the history of firefighting. Please note that if the Museum accepts your object(s), we do not guarantee that it will be on exhibit – only a small percentage of the Museum’s collection is on exhibit at any one time.
What we DO NOT Collect
Due to limited exhibit and storage space, duplication of objects already in the collection, and objects that are in poor condition, we cannot accept everything that is offered to us. If we are unable to accept your objects, we will try to refer you to another museum that may be able accept your objects.
The Museum does not collect glass fire extinguishers, sometimes referred to as firebombs or grenades. These tear-drop shaped glass balls are often filled with a red or clear liquid; the liquid may be carbon tetrachloride - an EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS chemical. If you have one of these objects, DO NOT USE it to extinguish a fire and handle it carefully. Contact waste management at your municipality about how to safely transport and dispose of these objects.
