Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-19
THE LUCKY F|REMEN
Who Will Fight the Lurid
Flames in the Future.
F0RTY.EIGHT DROPPED.
Chief Brown Gives His Reasons For
the Changes Made.
ONLY THE BEST MEN ARE WANTED
A Fire Captain Who Thinks the Reduction
Was Not Too Heavy.
ONLY THE BEST MEN ARE WANTED
THE OTHER BOYS HAVEN'T MUCH TO SAY

The names of the men who are to compose
the reorganized fire department of this city
were made public bv Chief Brown of the
Department of Public Safety last night. In
the list there are As new names out OF
total of Ia, and when the chief secures a
man for fire director, the new position he in
tends to create, there will be 17S The
work of reorganization really begun on the
first of last July since which time IA new
men have been put on the force, making
the total of g. men replaced by the change.
The date of the change has been fixed ior
October !, in order to give new appointees
an opportunity to give due notice to their
present employers or dispose of their pres
ent occupation, as the case may be, in time
10 take their new places on that date, as
we'll as to give those Of the present force
who are to be dropped, an opportunity to
secure other employment. Chief Brown is
well pleased with the list he has made out,
aud expects great things from the depart
ment after the new men have been brok en-
in.
The names of the men only are given, the
places they are to fill being left to the Su-
perintendent and his assistants. Speaking of
the reorganization Chief Brown last night
said:
I have picked out the men and will allow my
assistants who know more about the details of
the fire service to apportion them to the vari-
Gus engine houses and positions. as they deem
best for the best interests of the department.
am satisfied the material have furnished is
good, and if judiclOusly handled Pittsburg will
soon regain her place in the front rank OF the
fire deparrmenTS of the country.
The reorganization of the department has
long been contemplated by me, IN fact have
been considering il ever since / first assumed
nv present position. At that time found the
police force in such condition that it was
necessary to attend to it first. The fire service
was far superior to the police but was not what
il should be for city of Pittsburg's size and
importance.
HE STUDIED IN OTHER CITIES.
When made my mind up to this began to
look around for ways of making improvements.
did this by watching the movements of the
local department and comparing it with that
of other cities, notably New York, Chicago and
Philadelphia. I found they had better service
than we had but il was not in their apparatus
much as in their men and their skill and ac-
tivity. 1 have tried improving our force in
those particulars by having the men drilled in
ladder climb e, hose and plug connecting,
hitching and a. the other time-saving plans
in the fire service. This drilling had very
to the mark wanted. Then made inYes1ga-
tions of another character l examined the
captains of the companies and made other in
quiries which resulted in a determination to
make changes among the men.
Some of the testimony taken in my investi-
cation was interesting in this connection. One
captain had testified that he had not one man
in his company capable of performing ten con-
secutiEe hours of duty at a conhagration; an
other thai he had only four men in his COM
pany who were able to climb a ladder to the
top of a ive-story building. Some testified
that men in their companies had defective
sight, Others had rheumatism so they could
move but slowly, and dozen other points of
this character were brought out. l found we
had men from so to 65 years of age the
force and they could not be expected to stand
the superhuman tests that a fireman is some
times called upon to undergo. Only men who
are so constituted Should be members of a
fire department.
Another thing discovered in my investiga-
tions was lack of skill and management. Some
of the testimony taken shows that in some of
our big cOnfaCrations within the last two
years the engines have been delayed from 20
TO S5 minutes after their arrival at the scene
of the fire before they got their hose coupled
mp and streams at work. The delay was the
result, first of the engines not having been
properly met by messenger from the chief TO
tell them what plug they must drive TO and
how to get to il; and second. of the Indifferent
skill of the drivers. If the driver of an engine
Knows his business he will drive right up to a
plug and stop on spot from which the section
OF hose can be coupled to the engine without
moving the engine an inch. If he does not he
will drive up and times out of 10 Will have to
make a complete circuit in order to get at the
right place, thereby losing much valuable
time. The plug coupling is short, and the
engine must be just in a certain position or il
cannot be coupled TO the plug.
BROWN Is RESPONSIBLE.
Well, this is but an instance of the many
points in which 1 have found room for i'm
proyement and that improvement we must
have. Our citizens have a right to expect the
hest eprviPp bpcanSa hoy for md
well. AS chief of the department if any def
cheney exists no matter how innocent may
be nor how hard l strive TO better things, am
held responsible. Being responsible, am de-
termined to be blamed as little as possible and
TO that end 1 have reorganized. have no
doubt will be censured by some people for
dropping certain men that I have replaced on
the list but as l would be eensured If their in
ability led to disastrous results when they were
called upon to do duty, would rather be Gen.
sured for doing what is best for the service and
for the people than otherwise. In my
work of reorganizing have paid much atten-
tion to the drinking class of men, and several
of the men who are stricken from the roll owe
their removal to that cause.
/ have been greatly worried over the removal
of some Of the men in the department. Some
are personal friends for whom nave the warm
est feelings of regard, while others are old men
in the service, popular and well known, but
their davs of usefulness in that branch of serv-
ice are over. have made out the list entirely
by myself, have received no assistance from
anyone, nor have allowed personal or political
feelings or interests to have any effect upon
my work. This is positively the case. 1t is true.
have received great many 1ations
for certain men from their friends and my
friends, but they were only considered when
the qualifications of the applicant came up to
the Requirements. ] think there are only 20
men on the list have given you who were thus
recommended.
OF course I do not claim the department will
be perfect as have reorganiZed it, but time
will be required to demonstra the ability and
,FT,1v, Of frl,a
want we will keep them. and if not, they will
be replaced until we get what we do want.
The SuperinI endent and his two assistants will
have the work of placing the men to do. They
are instructed to recognize convenience in
their apportionments. If a man lives in the
Eighteenth ward and has home there he is
not to be placed on the Thirty-sixth ward CON-
This and other considerations that have been
observed IN the past will be recognized now.
LOOKING FOR A DIRECTOR.
The position of fire director is still untitled
There have been several names proposed, but
after consideration they have been dropped,
and it is still to be determined who will be
selected for the position. 1t is one of great re-
sponsibility and much hard work, and it will
require man of more than ordinary ability,
perception and activity to fill il properly. How
ever viii take my time IN selecting the man,
and viii not appoint any until have one upon
whom can depend.
Very various feelings were exhibited by
men Of the department whom DISPATCH
representative saw last night, when he in
formed them of the radical change to be