Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-05
What Shall Our Fire Service Be?

A dozen years since, this writer in
official communication urged the neces-
sity of better means for preventing a con-
fagration. To quote now: savannah
has a large proportion of antiquated
wooden buildings, in which, should fire
occur during high wind, it must very
speedily gain volume and intensity sufh-
cient to drive it through the better built
localities. There Is but one chance IN
such case, and that is to gain control be-
fore the fire escapes from the building in
which it originates. The benefits
deriyable from the introduction of steam
and electricity into a fire service
are found in the fact that an
almost limitless power may be GER
tainly and rapidly concentrated at any
given point; by means OF which the
chances for checking fire in its incipient
state are increased many fold (but for
ths). 1t is clear there is a system of pre-
requisites, embracing telegraph, steam
engines, horses and men, none OF which
can be neglected without rendering the
others of no effect, and it becomes an i'm
portant question how state of things
giving due degree of security may be
maintained at as small cost as is con-
sistent with efficiency"
Prophets after the fact are plenty as
blackberries. and about as useless beings
as were ever created; but those who will
fully investigate, intelligently determine
and promptly act, are very scarce.
Shall we now improve the severe
lesson we have received Let
us examine a little into the causes of our
disaster while the details are fresh, and
which of the essentials above noticed
were lacking. This writer believes it 10
have been the lack of trained and skilled
men, always a fatal defect with vOlun-
teer organization operating a steam fire
apparatus. 1t is frequently sought to
remedy this defect by increasing the
mechanical power, and in all cases it has
proven failure. In Charleston this was
run up to an aggregate of fourteen engines
without avail. With the introduction of
even an approximation to regular force
of men, the engines were cut down to SIX.
In Philadelphia, the last stronghold OF the
old-time .<pIug-ugly'' ofthe "Mose, take de
pipe school, the number of engines
reached nearly to one hundred. With
partially regular system this number was
cut down to tlCenty. These illustrations
should clearly demonstrate the relation
between numbers and efficiency. 1t is
not intended to censure the volunteers,
they do as well as is possible for men who
do not make a vocation of 1t, and who
frequently pass weeks and even months
without call even for practice-nOr can
they be expected gratuitously to devote
the norton of time necessary to acquire
a suitable proficiency. In our service
they should only be required to bear the
same relation to the actual work as vol
unteer soldiers bear to regulars, or more
nearly stated J, as the volunteer military
of this city bears to our police
force. They might be of very
great service at any moment,
and could well be retained to report at
fires just as the military companies were,
and nominally are, required to attend IN
similar cases. Then all that is necessary
is not over Six trained men for regular
and constant duty with each engine, but
inasmuch as these men, after having been
trained and perfected in the stations and
duties of the machines, would nave only
a small portion of time actually employed,
and as enforced idleness is well known to
be demOraliZing to all men, in what way
can this time be better, more prottably,
or safely utilized than by assigning GER
tain proportion of police duty to each
MANI For this purpose 1t is obviously
essential that they shall be under the gene
raj direction of the commander OF police,
it being an easy and feasible matter 10
assign to duty with this branch force an
executive officer to handle the detachment
and its mechanical appliances when on
actual fire duty. If any one can suggest
the details of a more effective, compact
and economical fire service than thus in
dictated for cities of small area and popu-
latlon, let us have it brought forward and
discussed freely. All agree that some
thing must be done. something" was
substituted at that time in place of the
Sorrel Committee plan and it has not
proven a success. Now what is the next
best thing? H.