That only goes to show that firefighting equipment is often only as good as those who use it.

CNN: Disaster is topic of new Web site

The density of the housing and lack of firefighting equipment mean large numbers of shelters are often destroyed, but Friday's death toll was unusually high.

WSJ: Myanmar Refugees Die in Fire at Thai Camp

And now the city has now signed an agreement with NASA to develop new firefighting equipment to make it safer to fight fires in space.

CNN: Disaster is topic of new Web site

Some of the other firefighting equipment founded in Chicago is less high-tech: the snorkel truck, the fire plug or hydrant, the collapsible fire escape and the fire pole, which was invented by a Chicago fire captain in 1874 so firefighters could slide quickly to the ground floor.

CNN: Disaster is topic of new Web site