Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-28
Convention of Fire chiefs.

In the third days proceedings OF the Con-
vention of Chiefs Of The Fire Department,
in session al Baltimore, we find the follow
ing:
THE DISCIPLINE OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
The comm tee appointed to consider the
best mode of organization, and the most ef
fectiye system of discipline for fire depart
ments, and the importance of separating the
departments from political Influences, re-
ported through Chief Raymond, of Cam
bridge, Mass: That, in the opinion of your
committee, the systems of org 'nization and
discipline OF all departments, whether under
full pay, partial pay, or volunteer, should be
made subservient to q thorough discipline
tending to the actual duty of extinguishing
fires, and further the committee unqusli-
fiedy deprecste any element of fun or past
time wherever the matters Of extisguish-
ment Of fires are concerned.
Resolved, That in the opinion of this
Convention, the best interests of the gen.
eral public and all fire departments, make it
requisite that chief engineers and their as
sistants, and all other executive officers,
connected with fire depart uents, should De
elected to Office for period of not less than
three years.
gestion to City Councils, we feel that the
annual change through political Influences,
tends TO lessen the efficiency and usefulness
OF the fire departments of the country, and
would recommend to all appointing powers
that the term of office be extended in sp.
pointmenis of officers of fire departments
as above suggested. The report was &C.
cepted and referred.
STORAGE OF INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL.
The committee appointed to consider
"the regulation OF the storage of iphamms-
bic material, and the use OF the same for
heating or illumination; also the exclusion
ofrubbish liable to spontaneous Ignition"
reported through Chief Stockell, of Nash
vile, Tennessee, the following recommend
ations:
1. That all petroleum be stored in build
ings made of brick or stone, with basement
of not less than four feet in depth, and
isolated from any other buildings
2. That it Eis extra hazardous to store Pc
troleum in warehouses or stores in the mer-
camille district more than FIVE barrels in any
one place, or more than FIVE gallons Of
napths, benzine, benzole or lighter products
of petroleum and kept in some metallic
vault.
8. That petroleum should be shipped
only during daylight.
4. That all petroleum for Illuminating
purposes less than ITO deg. Fahrenheit
is highly dangerous to life and property,
and all cities, towns and villages should
have stringent laws prohibiting not only
the sale, but the use of such explosive sub
stances. Spontaneous combustion, the
nature and action Of which so vitality con-
Germs the general public, and is so little I'M
derstood, is one great cause of fire, the
nature of which should be promulgated all
over the land. In all fires thorough un-
derstauding of the nature and cause of the
danger are of the first Importance to assist
in wsrdiDg them off. 1t is highly important
that all fires occurring from these causes
should he promptly laid before the public,
80 as to warn them against similar occur
rences. The report also quoted numerous
instances OF spontaneous combustion. The
report was accepted and referred.