The fire alarm telegraph was invented in the United States in the 1850s. The Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Company came to dominate the US market and subsequently introduced the technology to Britain. The Gamewell fire alarm allowed members of the public to call the fire brigade via telegraph wires, and was installed in business premises, private houses and large public buildings.
To raise the alarm all a person needed to do was break the glass and pull the lever. The sender then transmitted a telegraph message to a central station, identifying the location of the fire. A printer connected to the central control equipment provided a permanent time-stamped record of the incident.
