"Volunteer Fireman of The Comstock" focuses on the importance of Volunteer fire departments that were started in Carson City and Virginia City during the Comstock era.

The video covers topics including: early fire fighting equipment, fire fighting techniques, the rivalry that sometimes developed among the various volunteer fire departments, and the important services that they provided for the towns.

In towns built of wood and cloth, the volunteer fire departments became an important part of the communities. Each town boasted at least three volunteer fire departments that raced and rushed each other to the front of each fire in the hopes of being triumphant over the flames.

The competition to be the group to claim 'first water' helped keep the Comstock towns they served safe.

Students will:

• Explain the importance of the volunteer fire departments to the Comstock towns;
• Understand the importance of first water;
• Create an award for one of the volunteer fire departments to show the importance they represent to the towns.
  

• What is the difference between city/county fire departments and volunteer fire departments?
• Do we still have volunteer fire departments? What is their purpose?
• Where do you think the first volunteer fire departments were started in Nevada?

• What were the town structures like on the Comstock?
• How many volunteer fire departments did the towns have? Name two.
• Define first water.
• Why did they want first water?
• Why was first water so significant?
• Do you think the rivalry was a good or bad thing over all?
• Discuss some of the problems that faced the Comstock volunteers then that today's fire fighters do not have to contend with.
• Are there dangers today's fire fighters face that the Comstock crews did not have to contend with? Brainstorm as a class to answer that question.
• Do volunteer fire departments exist today?
• What role do they play?

• Create a play titled "First Water."
• Research the devastating fire in 1875. Write about what might have been done differently to change the outcome.
• Compare the equipment used during Comstock years to the equipment used today. Describe the differences and similarities in an essay.
• Write a letter to a local volunteer fire department, asking them to come and the role they play in present day fire fighting.