Ramsey County History – Spring 2002: “The Fire Insurance Patrol: Gone But Not Forgotten”

The Fire Insurance Patrol: Gone But Not Forgotten
Author: John S. Sonnen

The Fire Insurance Patrol, a private organization incorporated in 1895, was financed by small assessments on fire insurance policies. When a fire broke out, the patrol rushed to the conflagration, usually getting there before the fire department with its heavier and slower rigs. The goal of the Fire Insurance Patrol was to remove items from the affected buildings and to cover personal property on nearby buildings using tarps to protect store merchandise. In 1911, the Insurance Patrol became motorized. The Patrol was around for forty-four years until the St. Paul Fire Department took over its responsibilities.
PDF of Sonnen article