"Nowadays, when the fire siren wails its ominous message of impending disaster, most people have two instinctive reactions - firstly to find out whether the red demon menaces their own possessions, and then to visit the outbreak and view the efforts of those men in distinctive garb who arrive with such remarkable alacrity on their gleaming engines, and proceed so nonchalantly about their business.

One wonders how the pioneers managed to fight the fury of flames run riot with the primitive gadgets then available. Research, so far, has not disclosed what happened before the brigade was formed - probably in 1894 or soon after - but, presumably, wells, tanks and volunteer bucket brigades were the main means of protecting property in those days.

The first captain of the brigade was Mr A Salmon, according to the Bowral Free Press of June 25, 1904, which reported his death, aged 65, after 20 years' residence in Moss Vale. He was stated to have been one of the prime movers in establishing Moss Vale School of Arts, an active Show Society member, and a Masonic Lodge member.

A Moss Vale fire brigade photograph of September 1899 shows 10 members under Captain Salmon. Prior to 1910 the brigade was controlled by a local board, constituted under the Fire Brigades Act, JA Badgery being Government representative and EJ Dunn secretary. Equipment consisted of a hand reel, built by Robinson of Sydney, in 1894 (year of completion of Moss Vale's water supply), and a hose cart, constructed by Yabsley of Moss Vale, in 1904."

Parry notes that these appliances were housed at the Fire Station in Argyle Street. The building was owned by the local Fire Brigades Board, with the land leased by Moss Vale Council from the railways for fire brigade purposes.

"From January 1, 1910, the Fire Brigades Act, 1909, came into operation, constituting the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW, which then took over Moss Vale, included in 'F' division (one of the nine into which the State was divided), covering the Southern and South Coast Fire Districts. Thenceforward, Moss Vale Municipal Council contributed one-third of the estimated cost of maintenance of the local brigade, the remainder being borne by the Government and insurance companies, whilst from January 1, 1928, under an amending Act, the Council and Government each paid one-fourth, and the companies one-half.

When the board took control in 1910, the brigade's strength was 10 men serving under Captain Dawson, who resigned in June 1915. He was succeeded by Volunteer Fireman E M Steele, who retired due to ill-health in July 1931. The next captain was Fireman Wooton, who resigned in December 1941, being succeeded by the present [1948] captain, Volunteer Fireman Browne.

The first step in modernising the brigade's equipment came in May 1926, when the hand-drawn hose cart which had performed yeoman service for the municipality for many years was replaced by a Garford Hale motor engine with a pumping capacity of 150 gallons per minute whilst, in November 1938, a later model Garford engine was installed. In January 1945, the most modern type of imported Dennis Tamini engine, with 250 gallons pm capacity, and standard body and fittings, constructed in the board's Sydney workshops, was provided.

In view of the tremendous work done by firemen who, in the majority of country towns such as Moss Vale, are classed in the volunteer category, it is interesting to note that the only remuneration they receive is a small monthly retaining fee, and award payment for attendance at fortnightly drills, and fires, whilst each member in turn performs station duty from 7 till 10 each night."

Parry finished this history with two other items of interest about fires: since first settlement days, according to a paper by Sampson in the Royal Australian Historical Society's Journal, 'the first Australian bushfire lit the Parramatta countryside in February 1791', and the Bowral Free Press of March 1, 1884 stated that £3000 worth of fencing had been destroyed by bushfires in the Berrima district during the previous year.