I looked up how Dalmatians came to be associated with firefighters. They were bred to run alongside horse-drawn carriages, protecting the horses from hostile animals (especially other dogs). This was especially important for emergency vehicles. When motorized firetrucks came along, the firefighters decided to let the preexisting Dalmatians ride along as a sort of mascot.
I looked up how Dalmatians came to be associated with firefighters. They were bred to run alongside horse-drawn carriages, protecting the horses from hostile animals (especially other dogs). This was especially important for emergency vehicles. When motorized firetrucks came along, the firefighters decided to let the preexisting Dalmatians ride along as a sort of mascot.