The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-27
KERN'S SON CHBSURBD
He Is a Battalion Chief and the
Fire Board Find That He Is
Ignorant Of His Duty.

w. fH.s Kern. a son of Fire Com
missioner Kern. was before the Fire
Board last night for having improperly
performed his duties. He is a young,
Inexperienced fireman, but he is a bat
TALON chief just the same. A few nights
ago., in response to a second alarm
from box IA he reported at Headquar-
tiers. He a no business there. He
reports there only under certain condi-
lions, and upon certain alarms from
certain boxes. He hasn't mastered all
the calls he is required to answer as
yet, although he has been a battalion
chief a long time. Charges were pre-
ferred against him, and the presence
of his father in the board saved him
perhaps from dismissal.
He explained that he didn't mean to
disohey orders. and then invented the
excuse that he had lost his detail card
while painters were at work at the en-
CINE house where he is assigned to do
duty. After considering his case for a
few minutes President Brennan an
nounced that he had been found guilty.
BRENNAN'S LECTURE.
you have been in this department
long enough continued Mr.. Brennan,
s'to know your duties. If you DOM
know them it is time you learned them.
If you I'M memorize the boxes you
have to carry a detail card with you
so that you will be able to refer to it.
We hope this won't occur again. 1t is
not pleasant to us to have an officer
of this department before us on charges.
1t sets a bad example for the men. An
officer should be the first to know his
duty, and see to it that you learn yours
Kern was about to retire when Com
missioner Mills hailed him. ut has been
said" he began, 'sby some members of
the department. that they are being
bounded. The day for pounding is play
ed out, and 1 want that plainly under
stood. l also want it understood by
every man that the day for neglecting
duty with impunity has passed. We
want the men to do their duty. II
they don't my vote will be to find men
who will do what is required. Every
man Is on an equal footing in this de-
partment, and no one will be allowed to
shirk his work another forced to
do it,
Kern was not fined. the Commission
ers believing that the lecture they gave
him will knock some of the conceit out
of him Sand reduce the circumference OF
his head.
MORE OFFICERS IN TROUBLE.
Rudolph H. Braun of Hook and Lad
der No. 3, detailed as commandant, and
o Coughlin, detailed c-ommandant OF
No. IA. We're before the board for TAX
ing their respective companies to box
- in answer to an alarm from box 143.
Three or four permanent men and two
'~'buffaloes" declared that they heard the
commandments give the order to pro
coed to box 143. They squared the COM
mandants and saddled all the blame on
the drivers, both of whom appear to
lave followed one another at various
lines in some mysterious me The
drivers, it was brought out, were dl-
rected to the right box, after consid-
cradle knocking around side streets by
a buffalo," The permanent men stuck
by the c-ommandants like majors. They
all had the same account of the con-
fusion to render. The Commissioner
found hen guilty of reporting to the
wrong box, but dismissed the charge
after warning them to be more careful
in the future. Commandant Coughlin
declared he thought he was going to
box 143 all the time, not being familiar
with the streets. He was given a call
ing down and warned to learn the local
ity at once. to prevent trouble in the
future. Chief Conway reported thir-
teen alarms and nine bell alarms.