Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1851-01-11
THE P0LYNESIAN
Bp Autboritp.

ORDINANCE TO ORGANIZE A FIRE
DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF
HONOLULU.
Whereas public necessity demands that
new Law shall be passed for the protection
of the residents of Honolulu from the calam-
tiles of confagration, His Majesty Kane
hameha III, and Keoni Ana the Premier and
the Mobiles residing near enact the following
Act as the Law of the land, to take effect as
therein provided, and be in force until the
close of the next session of the Legislative
Council.
ARTICLE l.
OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRE DEPART
MENT OF HONOLULU.
1. The Fire Department of the City of
Honolulu, shall consist of Chief Engineer,
four fire wardens, and so many fremen as
may be approved by the Chief Engineer,
and who shall be respectively designated by
the several appelIations aforesaid.
g. The Chief Engineer shall be appointed
mendation of not less than twenty residents
of Honolulu, each of whom shall hold lease
hold estates, or estates in fee simple, situated
in Honolulu, the annual value OF which shall
be not less than one hundred dollars
3. The four fire wardens shaI! be appoint
ed by the Chief Engineer, with the approba-
tion of the Governor of Oahu, and upon the
recommendation of not less than twenty fire.
men.
4. The terms of Office of the Chief En-
gineer, and fire wardens shall be not less
than one year, or until others are appointed
in their place.
ARTICLE II.
OF THE DUTIES OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER.
1. The Chief Engineer shall, in all cases
of fire, have the sole and absolute control
and command over all the other members of
the Fire Department, and it shall be the du-
ty of the said Chief Engineer to direct the
fire wardens to take proper measures that
the several fire engines in the possession of
the Fire Department be located in the most
advantageous situations, and be duly work.
ed for the extinguishing of fires; and more
over it shall be the duty of the said Chief
Engineer, to grant the custody and use ofthe
fire engines, fire buckets and other fire ap-
paratus belonging to the Government to such
fremen as he may deem proper, and assume
the control of them at his pleasure, and as
often as once in three months examine into
the condition of the fire engines fire buckets
and other fire apparatus, and fire engine
houses belonging to the Government, and
report the condition of the same TO the Gov
ernor Of Oahu, together with the names of
all of the persons in the Fire Department,
and when any of the said fire engines and
other apparatus shall require to be repaired,
the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department
at the request of the fremen having the same
in charge, through their officers, shal! cause
the same to be well and sufficiently repaired,
provided such expense shall not exceed one
hundred dollars.
9. In case the Chief Engineer should be
absent from fire, one of the fire warders,
first arriving at fire shall act as Chief En-
gineer, until the arrival of that officer.
ARTICLE III.
OF THE DUTIES OF FIRE wARDENs.
1. The Fire Wardens shall attend at all
fires, and be subject to the direction Of the
Chief Engineer, or ofthe Fire Warden act
ing as Chief Engineer in his absence, and it
shall be their duty Immediately on an alarm
and assist in procuring supplies of water to
tne IRE engines, anu prevent tut uOSc Va Tic
engine from being trodden on, and to keep
all idle persons at a proper distance from the
fire and from its vicinity, and to order and
direct all persons near to or about the fire,
to aid and assist in extinguishing the fire as
they may think best: provided it is not con-
trary to the orders Of the Chief Engineer,
and all residents of Honolulu are hereby en-
joined to comply with the orders and direc-
tions of the Chief Engineer and the fire
wardens at fires under the penalties herein
after provided.
3 The said fire wardens shall divide the
city of Honolulu into four districts, and re-
port their boundaries to the Chief Engineer,
and shall appoint one of their number to
each district for the purpose of making the
yisitations and examinations directed in the
next section whc shall .:s, Keen record of .he .e
names Of the occupants of the houses or 9TH
er buildings where they shall observe any
violations Of this law, and cause them to be
prosecuted for the penalty fixed for the vio-
iation they may have been guilty of.
3. 1t shall be the duty Of the said FIRE war
dens, twice in every year, and as much OFT
ener as they may think proper, to examine
the dwelling houses and other buildings in
their respective districts for the purpose of
ascertaining any violations Of this law, and
also to examine the freplaces, hearths, Chin
news, stoves and stove pipes in their respec-