previously established under Ohio law and under which these organizations would function, "...said superintendent and the members of said patrol, while on duty at a fire, shall in all respects be subordinate to and under the control of the public authority...", specifically the senior fire officer on the scene being in overall command.(3) Over time, the Salvage Corps became so integral to fighting fire in the City of Cincinnati that they were nearly indistinguishable from the Cincinnati Fire Department and CFD personnel. Even though they were a privately held, funded, and operated company, their apparatus, uniforms, and equipment were identical to that of the city fire department. They used the same communication and radio frequencies as the city department to facilitate contact at fire scenes, and training was integrated between the two organizations to better foster understanding of procedures, cooperation, and efficiency of effort. BACKGROUND In Cincinnati, firefighting and saving property from fire began with the beginning of the village creating a long established tradition. Founded in 1788, the village appointed a "night watch" in 1789, who like the Vigiles Urbani of Rome, patrolled the streets looking for structure fires so that people could sleep soundly and at peace in their beds.(5) In the Cincinnati Division of Fire, the term "night watch" continues to this day designating the over night period and the term is also used by fire personnel to designate assignment to the station's communications room during the overnight period, an assignment based upon a rotating schedule of personnel from all companies in the house.(4) In 1802, the village passed an ordinance requiring every household to possess a leather bucket of specific dimensions to be used for fire fighting. !n 1808, the Fire Bucket Company was organized by the village to formalize firefighting operations.(6) Salvage companies were formed later as an adjunct of fire fighting in the city. On December 21, 1820, The Protection Society Company No. 1 was formed with an authorized membership of 100, its purpose was the saving of lives, protecting property and preventing theft at fire scenes. By 1830, it had but 50 enrolled members. A second company, The Company of Cincinnati Fire Guards, began operation in August, 1832. Authorized for a membership of 250, their role was not only salvage and protection but use of police powers to cordon off fire scenes and control access, remove intruders, and compel bystanders to assist with