When did a fire department first appear in the Western world? A long time ago, around 300 B.C., the Romans had something called a "slave fire department" to protect against fires. Later, in A.D. 26, Rome had a full-time fire department that was in charge of making sure people followed rules to prevent fires and punishing those who caused fires. Over time, people have tried different ways to lessen the damage fires can do. In 1666, a huge fire in London destroyed a lot of buildings because they were made of wood and straw. After that, people started building houses with brick and stone to prevent fires from spreading. Nowadays, fire protection is about preventing fires and reducing their impact on people, buildings, and the environment. People who work in fire protection include firefighters, fire marshals, and fire prevention officers, among others. The best way to protect against fires is to prevent them from happening and, if they do happen, to decrease the damage they can cause.