The fireman

In the old days the fireman was different. Usually you saw bright red tankers and hook-and-ladder trucks with simple ladders and small axes and buckets. The H&L operators were often depicted as kindly helping old ladies get their stuck cats out of trees. Nowadays the ladders are made of steel instead of wood so it won't burn and the ladders are bigger to account for larger buildings. Firemen also often do not have time to help with stuck cats. Another early depiction is the use of trampolines to help people jumping from second-story windows. This is no longer used. They do their best to use ladders. Another change has been from the use of a bell to a dome siren to the more complex modern sirens.