Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-03
A SYSTEMATIC SERVICE,
The Popularity of the Paid Fire
Department.
mayor McCOnoehie Favors the idea
and viii Recommend it...A Veteran
mans Views-.-The Estimated
Cost

The more the paid fire department idea
ID agitated the more popular it becomes
ana the suggestions offered in the ARGUS
OF Wednesday evening as to utilizing
tnuch OF the present equipment is gen.
crafty commended. The city council has
oeen frequently criticised for its disposi.
''on with reference to our fire protection
winch amounts almost to recklesspess
though the aldermen have probably never
viewed it in SC serious light. The wav
ROCK Island has got along all these wears
depending upon volunteers that the citv
can never properly pay and therefore
cannot properly depend upon is not only
careless in the extreme, but it is unbusi.
ness like and unfair both to nronertv
holders and fremen, and the people are
eeginning to realize it the more now that
the volunteer firemen have got enough of
II and the city is in danger of being with
out even volunteer department. The
paid department is the only sure remedy.
II Is bound to come and the city might as
well have the benefit and advantage of il
hrst as last There is nothing to be
gained by putting off the inevitable I'M
this regard
mayor McConochie was approached on
the present predicament of the CITY as re.
CARDS fire department this morning, and
he said; Il realize the situation thor.
oughly and am conscious of the desira,
bility of paid department. am heart
lily in favor of it if the city can see its
way clear to provide it. | shall have
something to say on the subject at Mon
day nights council meeting. II we can
arrange our finances to do so. | shall
heartily recommend putting one in, or
making the start this year at any rate. %
While the mayor and the ARGUS repre-,
sentative were conversing. Marsh Noe,
who organized the paid department at
Davenport, and was its chief for five
years. came along and his views as to the
probable cost were casually solicited.
" Well, said Mr.. Noe. there is no cues.
ton about your needing a paid fire de.
partment Once get one and you will
wonder how you ever permitted the CITY
to get along without it. Once established
you can have good equipment thor
oughly firstclass and reliable and equal to
all emergencies at cost not to exceed
slo,oOO per snnum, and it costs you near
ly half that for your volunteer depart
ment now. To equip a department you
should have first an electric alarm which
will cost So, 500; two good carts at $500
each and at least l 900 feet of hose. You
have splendid truck-better than we
bad in Davenport to start with. There
is also good team and harness there, and
all that is needed there is the men"
So the actual cost of paid depart-
ment, it will be seen from the opinion of
an expert, will not be anything like what
most people lave been led to believe.
When the system is once established its
maintenance will cost the citg little more
than the present arrangement. 1t is to
be hoped the mayor and council will real,
lie their duty n the premises to such an
extent as to make something of a move
in the direction of paid department at
once. This spring has been looked for
ward TO for some time as to witness the
of a reliable and systematic
fire service. Let there be no disap
pointment.