Beginning in 1769, Norwich inhabitants began fire protection with the use of water buckets and a hand-actuated piston pump named the Torrent. In the early 1800s, the need for an organized fire service paved the way for the first fire companies of the downtown area. A period of rapid growth followed, and the Norwich Fire Department absorbed the Greeneville Fire Department under one title and one chief. Today the career firefighters of the Norwich Fire Department continue to build upon its rich and historic tradition of service to the City Consolidated District. Norwich Firefighting is a pictorial tribute to this honorable department.