The fire hose was invented by Jan van der Heyden in 1672 with the goal of improving the capability of fire marshals to extinguish fires in his native Amsterdam. It is interesting to note that van der Heyden was not a fire fighter. He was an artist and an inventor but he certainly made a priceless contribution to the field of fire fighting by inventing the fire hose. When you imagine a fire fighter, the likely picture that comes to mind is someone clad in fire-fighting suit and carrying a fire hose.