What resonated with me throughout Franklin’s autobiography was the influence he had over a massive number of programs that continue to this day. Beyond the obvious impact he had on the formation of America as a country and relationships with prominent members of American, British and French society, it was the seemingly secondary programs that have come to be central to all modern communities today because of their practicality.
Franklin’s description of his early police force and fire departments was limited to less than two pages, barely passing in nature, but both became fundamental institutions to every community. By writing papers distributed publicly such that any citizen could read and support the concepts that they promoted, he was able to establish lasting organizations that improved the public well being. “This was much spoken of as a useful Piece, and gave rise to a Project, which soon followed it, of forming a Company for the more ready Extinguishing of Fires, and mutual Assistance in Removing and Securing of Goods When in Danger.” Protecting property rights is a necessary and critical function of any municipality, and Franklin was able to verbalize so logically his beliefs in how to do so with both police and fire departments, that their implementation was supported by any rational and practical citizen. He did not need to be the organizer of the programs, but simply by introducing the concept it is due to his leadership that America rapidly became the worldwide leader in securing property rights that allowed the country to grow and prosper into the thriving nation that it became. Following his philosophy of maximizing utility, Franklin described the proliferation of fire departments, “The Utility of this Institution soon appear’d, and many more desiring to be admitted than we thought convenient for one Company, they were advised to form another” and so on, until the first Union Fire Company became a crowning example of protection admired and desired by countless other communities. He designed them to be both efficient and equitable constructs that were so practical and sensible that their growth was natural the models expanded not only in America, but internationally as well.
