The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-01
PERMANENT CALL MEN.
What the Fire Department Is
Doing to Get Rid of the
Buffaloes.

The proposition to do away with the
old Buffalo system and establish per-
manent fire department throughout seems
likely to become reality. In speaking
of the matter last night Commissioner
John Brown said;--
Eyes. am in favor of it, aud think l
can answer for the other commissio ners
My experience in Fire Department mat
ters, for Twas with the old volunteer fire
laddies way back in the early sixties"
continued Mr.. Brown, pointing 10 a solid
silver trumpet beneath a glass dome,
which ornamented a parlor table and
which was given him In IS for saving the
lives Of two children, leads me to say
that the city at present requires the
change. We are erecting many large
buildings and factories throughout the
city. In fire matters we are behind the
age. The old buffalo system Is back
number. Suppose, for instance, a fire
breaks out at this moment at the brewery
Ia Ninth street. The permanent men who
appear with the apparatus must do all the
work. The buffaloes are dressed up. Out
enjoying themselves They will miss a
fire under such circumstances sooner than
rush to. the fire for work at S75 year,
and attempt TO make up 60 per cent. OF
duty at subsequent fires.
IT WILL COST 100000
what would be the additional cost?
Oh, measure about 100000. We have
seventeen companies, think, with four
permanent men, the engineer, stoker and
two drivers To each of these are added
eight buffaloes. including tne foremen.
IL permanent department is established
it is proposed to have eight permanent
men to each company. At present there
is no system, consequently no discipline.
do think this would be preferable to
spending the same amount on new ap-
paratus' Certainly. Our apparatus at
present is in fair condition. No. 5 Engine
has Just been rebuilt by Smith Brothers,
and at test few days ago she gave a
splendid account OF herself Then, again,
we have just added a splendid new LIE
Franc engine, which will probably go to
No. company. OF the latter assertion,
however, am not at all positive. Our
acquired 1000 feet of new hose. or
course when man is appointed a fire.
man he is appointed for life, and can
only be dismissed from the department
for cause. l am under the impression
that very few buffaloes ever really per-
form the required sixty per cent. of duty.
Besides the law is our own. We can re-
Quire them 10 perform 100 per cent.
.In the last Legislature an effort was
made to secure the passage of four bills
in connection with the department.; one
to increase the pay OF buffaloes from SIS
~ T@OO q CdAf ahCthCt " AHClCaSt lnC
permanent mems pay, another to increase
the chiefs salary. and another to make a
permanent organization without extra
pay. We secured the passage of none OF
them. The bill we want to present this
winter Is to add four permanent men to
each company, and do away with the
buffalo system entirely. 1 have spoken
to mum Der of Assem- blymen, even coun-
try members. who think il advisable TO
draw up such bill aud present it at the
coming session.
OF COURSE THE BUFFALoEs WILL OBJECT
s.Of course this means the dismissal of
half the buffaloes now employed. The
permanent places will be given to the
best of the buffaloes. True, the Supreme
Court decided In Newark's case when
Newark established a permanent depart
menr on the same basis, chat the dis
missed buffaloes were still firemen. But,
as | said before, believe there are but
few of our buffalOes who are doing the
required sixty per cent of duty. | will
say this, too. III a permanent department
is established, the men will all toe the
mark. We can then nave discipline, aud
every man must keep himself neatly uni
formed Under the old system of elect
ing, the Commissioners were dependent,
more or less, upon the support of the fire.
meu. This is not SO now. There is at
least one good thing about the new cha--
tern
Chief Farrier was also interviewed. He
said he put himself upon record years ago
in favor OF permanent department and
the abolition OF the buffalo system.