The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-04-24
FIRE ALARMS.
Chief Engineer 0ttinger Explains.
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE
DEPARTMENT.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER FIR.
DEPARTMENT.
SALT LAKE CITY, April %. 1880.
Editor Herald:
Dear Sir:-Your editorial in yester
days paper, referring to the unintel
ligible manner of ringing cur fir
alarms, and the confusion as to it.
whereabouts caused the citizens in
general, calls for an explanation o.
the system adopted by the depart
ment as the most ready way of direct.
ing the members OF the fire brigade
to the locality where their services are
required. say to direct the fremen,
for citizens are not needed at fires.
Ninety-nine from q hundred of those
who rush t. Ere are merely lockers
on. They never render any aid,
interfere with the work and order OF
the department. and create contro-
veEsy by senseless remarks and criti-
Cism, with uncalled for interference
and prepOsteIo1s orders. For the
benefit OF this class Ofsmart Alexis let
me ssy that Article 10, of the depart
ment regulations strictly requires all
fremen to preserve a respectful de-
mesIor TO all citizens, but to obey no
orders from them. In the large
cities of Europe and America the fire
alarm telegraph is now largely en-
plOyed With the beat results. By it
a company, brigade or the entire
department of a city can be called into
and the citizens know nothing
about it, only the few living in
the immediate vicinity of the fire. The
accuracy and reliability of the tele-
graph renders it most desirable for q
ire alarm. The experience of every
lag shows its importance. No fire |
Is properly equipped |
Without it. But the system can be |
)nly adopted effectuAlly by those |
titles employing 8 paid fire organize
ion, the members Of which are cor
family on duty to aDs8er q call.
With us, everybody knows, or ought
o know, It is entirely different. Our
iremen are volunteers, who sacrifice
ime and health tor the public good,
nd in return receive derisions and
com ments, l am sorry TO
az, from too many sources. If our
rlgade deserved this, through inert
est, it would be well enough, but
-om an experience of seven years as
n active member Of the New York,
and Baltimore fire de-
under the old volunteer
gstem, do not hesitate to say that
ur department Is as perfect in its
rganizatiop, as alert and efficient as
lose old organizations, and | am
to prove, TO any one wEo
i'll call at the department office, by
fetal and statistical reports from
10 various fire engineers of the
,untry, that the Salt Lake Fire De
7rtment stands at the head of tfe
St, when compared with cities Of the
.me population, for efficiency and
bod fire service, ss shown by the f
nall amount OF property annually
st by fire.
VITA this prelude, Mr.. Editor, let
lie now refer to the FIRE alarm signals,
.oTe directly for the benefit of I
.egchants and property owners I
siding IL the FIRE limits proper, and 7
ho, 1 deem it but right, should know q
here the fire iend Is at work.
3ction Z, OF the city ordinance c
lating to the fire department. (See 1
l.. City ordinances p. III reads: a
In case Of fire, the signal shall be, c
lie stroke of the City Hall bell for /
,fth, two tor south. three for east, ,
Id four for west of said hall" As C
10 did not altogether fiji the bill, / 9
5er trial, the intermediate points t
ded, as one three northeast, two
IT southwest, ETC., etc., this being
G system in use by the cd volunteer
partment of Philadelphia. and
severed very veil in that city whan :
ey tried several bells located in
derent parts of the city, each one
aging the direction from its partiCu-
r station. This ringing the com
IS, however, alter trial. proved 9
satisfactory with US. Three years
% l divided the city into four FIRE
stricts, that number being sufficient
cover the present fire limits. !
sst Temple street divides the dis {
cts east and west, First South street,
nth aud south, and the four 2
visions are numbered 1-2-3- A, !
mmencing with the northwest :
vision or district. For example, .
len FIRE occurs west of East
,mpIe street and north of First
nth street, it is in the
st district, and the alarm bells :
ike one, between the general :
arms. The second district is east Of
ast Temple street and north Of First
nth street.-The bells strike two be-
zen alarms. The third district is
eat OF East Temple street and south =
First South street-bell alarm Il
rec. The fourth district is east of t
asst Temple street and south OF First a
,uth str5et-bell alarm four. t
This regulation we find to be the 4
ost simple and effective with, 1 am :
rry to say, our present imperfect t
.e alarm system. C
Very respectfully, '
Your obedient servant, /
q. M. OTTINGER,