Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-23
CITY GOVERNMENT.
OmciaI Proceedings of Council

Omcial Proceedings of Council.
SAVANNAH, Wednesday, Nov. II, 1883.
Council met, pursuant to adjournment, this
evening at o'clock.
Present-Hon Rufus Z. Lester, Mayor;
Alderman j. j. Wilder, Chairman of Council
Alderman David Wells. Vice Chairman of
Council; Aldermen Hamilton, Thomas Minis,
Nichols, Nell, O'COnnOr, Haney, Green,
Hamlet. Dcrst.
The following reports were read:
MINORITY REPORT.
respectfully beS to submit the following as
a minority report of the Committee on Fire,
As to the reorganization of the Savannah Fire
Department.
Ii must be apparent to all that in our parti-
ally paid and partially volunteer Fire Depart
ment, however good the material and com
position OF theSnen Individually may be their
zeal and readiness to do their duty being
undOubted) the system is certainly defective,
and the necessary steps should be taken to
enable this mpOrtantsbranch of service TO
reach the highest efficiency, having due re-
gard to the finances of the city. 1t can
hardly be expected of our yOlunteers-wlth
little discipline, no drill and no trained profess
sional skill-tO be effective in their combined
action, nor can they do justice to themselves
give our citizens the protection they
deserve.
The only remedy is paid department, or
ganzed under the supervision and command
of the Chief of Police, as follows:
ACTIVE SERVICE.
Engines OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ................. 3
Hose Tenders .......... ....-...... ......... 3
Hook and Ladder Truck ................. l
Horses ...... ......... IL
Assistant Chief with rank as Lieutenant or
sergeant .-.--.-.--.. .-.--.-.-. ..--...--.. /
Engineers ...... 3
Drivers. ...... Observation-Disclosures. 900. I
Tillermen .................... |
Superintendent of Fire Alarm Telegraph l
Total number of men. ...-.............. ..... 81
RESERVE.
Vol. Companies-Hook and Ladder Truck
The duties of the Chief of Police would be
simply to organize the department and see
that il is well drilled, disciplined and inspect
ed by the Assistant Chief.
The Assistant Chief S duty would be to keep
the department in perfect working order, and
to direct the use Of the engines at fires.
The engineers. drivers and tillermen would,
as now, remain always at the stations Of their
engines.
The twenty four privates would be assigned
to the three engines and one hook and ladder
truck-siN to each-and would besides do
police duty; six posts. at least, could be COW
cred by these twentyfour privates without
interfering with their duties rs firemen, and
at the same time rendering service equal to
twelve policemen. Thus each of the twenty
four prlVates would be on police duty four
hours each day and at his engine house twelve
hours. In case of fire the post of the six men
on police duty would be Immediately covered
by policemen sent from the barracks, and the
firemen would join their engines at the fire.
Thus having a paid department the general
fire alarms would no longer be necessary, and
the alarm would only be sounded at the en-
CINE houses and the police barracks in the
Office of the Chief of Police. The public would
not. Is now the case, rush to fires and IN
teFfere with the working of the Fire Depart
ment, nor would the services of our military
companies be required as now. for the police,
Immediately on arrival at the fire, would
stretch ropes across the streets before the
crowd arrives, thus keeping the way clear for
the iremen to work intellIgently and effect
lively.
The present existing volunteer companies
remaining intact and in reserve, would only
be called out in case of great emergency or
when the Assistant Chief should deem it ne
cessary.
do not propose to merge the Fire and Po-
lice Departments, but simply to combine them
under one head. The fact that the firemen
will be clothed with the legal and moral pow
ers of policemen cannot fail to add to the eff
cheney and morale of the fire service.
This plan is by no means a new one, having
been operated with the best results in London,
Liverpool and many cities of the United King.
dom.
further beg to submit the following esti-
mate of expenses Of paid department, and
although it, is rather more than what the city
now nays. still { am CONVINCED that 1t is more
economical III the end and cannot fail to COM
mend itself:
Chief of Police extra pay ------..- 5OO w
Assistant Chief ..... ..-......... 800 90
engineers three at $1,000 .....---. 5000 20
Drivers (seven at 5000 EACH .....-... 1850 90
Tillerman - 800 90
Privates "a at $500 each) ........ IA, 400 90
Superindent Fire Alarm telegraph 900 90
$ 300 90
Forage and shooting II horses 81, 29s
Supplies and incidentals i 200
Uniforms ...................... 1850 1856 90
2s.656 90