Last week while I was in London, I had the opportunity to visit the London Fire Brigade Museum. Since my first visit 20 years ago, the fire museum has grown from two rooms to two floors, with separate rooms displaying items that depict or are actually from 400 years of fire history.

From the Great Fire in the 1660s (that in fact stopped the great plague) to Capt. Eyre Massey Shaw's recruitment of sailors to form the brigade, on through the role of the fire service during the Blitz to the present day, the museum is a real tribute to the brigade's history and its battle with fire.

Previously, access was by invitation only, but the museum now accepts reservations for tours from local schools, as well as international visitors. (Look for more in the September issue of FIRE CHIEF.)

Not only has the museum expanded and grown, but the London Fire Brigade has made changes, too, especially in its protective equipment.

The brigade's turnout gear used to be a heavy wool fitted coat with yellow, rubberized-type bunker pants. After the deadly Kings Cross tube station fire in 1987, which melted firefighters' bunker pants, the brigade switched to Nomex fire coats and leggings.

The brigade recently has gone through even more turnout changes to better distinguish different types of responders at an emergency incident: The police wear black uniforms, ambulance personnel wear dark green and firefighters wear burgundy turnouts with yellow reflective tape.

In addition, the firefighters' turnout coats are now hip-length, which Spokeswoman Lucy Price says is less cumbersome when climbing ladders and crawling around. Nomex bunker pants are longer in the torso to prevent gaps between pants and jacket. Helmets also have changed to a modern shape that bears little resemblance to the displays of previous headgear worn by London firefighters over 300 years.

Two things were reinforced in my mind by this visit to the London Fire Brigade Museum and training center at Winchester House. First, the American fire service needs a dedicated American fire museum — preferably located at the National Fire Academy. Second, there is much to share and learn from the international fire and emergency services. The emergency services are an international brotherhood.