New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-28
Police Service ut Fires.

Some years ago, when General Badger
had the police force very nearly up to the
standard of perfection, an arrangement was
made by him with the chief engineer of the
fire department for the police of fires, which
for long time worked admirably. Latter
ly, this system fell into disuse. Quite re-
Gently, however, Chief Engineer O'Connor
has had the plan revived, as the following
correspondence will show:
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Office OF Chief Engineer, }
New Orleans, September g. le.5.
Colonel "; F. Loan, Superintendent of Metropoli-
tan Police;
DEAR sIR-Owing to the great difficulties
to encounter at fires in endeavoring to
etfectnally work my force, deem it my
duty to call your attention to the very i'm
portant matter of the steps necessary to be
taken by the members Of your command
while at fires, to wit; the keeping of the
streets in the immediate proximity of fires
clear OF all pers oas not equipped as fire men
or wearing badge as such. The rules
governing this department, as you will per
ceive by reference to section ten of the il
closed crcul lar, provides that all officers,
members and employees of the depa1 tine n /
not equipped when on duty at fire, must
display suitable badge, in order that the
police may exclude from TIE ground all per
sons not immediately interested. Therefore
there will be no difficulty in your force
ascertalning who has right to be present.
Should the use of ropes, or any other appli-
ances, suggest itself to you as a means of
assistance to your command in the perform
ance of their duties, ! shall be pleased to
receive and have the same carried on our
hook and ladder trucks at all times.
Hoping you will give this matter yonr
a. QpD not att
yours, THOMAS O'CONNOR.
Chief Engineer
In furtherance of the request of the Chief
engineer, the following order issued
To all Precinct Commanders;
Arrangements have been effected with the
chief engineer of the fire depa1 tment by
winch 1t Is agreed that each hook and lad
der truck shall carry two ropes, each sixty
feet long, to be known as police ropes, to be
used in keeping the crowd at proper dis.
tance from fire, SO that members of the
hre department may work without hin
drance from lookers,on. Hereafter, when.
ever an alarm of fire is sounG ed the officers
on duty in the immediate vicinity will at
once repair TO the fire and clear the street
and banquette of all idle spectators, SO that
when the tiremen arrive they may be en-
abled to at once proceed to ork. As soon
as captain, sergeant or corporal arrives at
the scene of cOntiagration he will-should
the hre be not at once guished-pro-
ceed to clear the entire square of all mere
spectators, and stretch the police ropes
across the street at either end of
the square. The rope will be lowered
or raised to permit the tiremen and
apparatus to pass. Should the fire
be on corner the streets will be cleared go
far as practicable each way, and the ropes
run acre ss the street. AT all fires OF any
magnitude large number of officers are
required to attend, and each precinct com
nander will issue an order designating q
what beats shall be left vacant to enable
officers to attend fires in their respective
precincts. The following extract from an
order of the chief engineer of the fire de
partment to his subordnates, is promul-
gated for the information of the police force.
VIZ: "All officers, members and employees
OF the department not equipped when on
duty at fire must display suitable badge,
IN order that the police may exclude from
the ground all persons not Immediately in
.terested." Officers on duty at fire will
exercise, great care in keeping outside the
ropes all unauthorized persons. Sergeants
particularly are charged with the enforce
ment OF these regulations at fires. This
order will be read twice at roll call, and
posted conspcuOusly in each stationhouse
BY order OF w. F. Loan, Superintendent
Metropolitan Police.
P. H. BOYLE, Secretary.
The chief engineer has addressed cir
cular letter to all foremen of his command,
with instructions to call the attention of
their members, both active and exempt, to
the arrangement made with the Superin-
tendent of Police, the same being approved
by the board of fire commissioners.