The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-28

With your permission 1 shall endeaYo
to interest the readers of your Labo
edition with a short sketch OF the Iif;
and duties of a fireman.
TO become a member of any regula
paid fire department a man must make
application to the chief engineer. 1
there is a vacancy in the department
and he dhe applicanO seems to meet TIL
requirements in appIica ton blanks, the
chief may send him TO the Office of tins
department surgeon. where he will be
placed under a strict physical eXamina
tion, as to age, height, weight, chesi
measurements. eye sight, etc, etc. He
must be of good habits and vouched fol
oy three 81 freeholding citizens Of the
city in which they reside.
Among the many avocationS of life
that OF a fireman is one of the most
dangerous. Every time he responds 10
alarm of fire, it may be that he is
rushing TO his death. Each day or so we
see where a fireman has been caught by
The falling walls of some building ana
crushed 10 death, or il may be that he is
thrown from the apparatus as they rush
alCnS the street in response to the alarm
Of fire. The danger that confrontS q fire
man in The performance of his duty IS
very plainly recognized by life insurance
companies, many Of the them declining
80 write life insurance 10 d fireman,
1lNl those OF lhEll WHO 10 ISSUE pOl1NlCSf
charge a very high rate for same. For
example a. member of the fire department
. years of age desires d twenty (IO) year
policy in the New York Life, or any
other company, for one thousand $lCOJ
dollars. he Will pay premium or thIrty-
six CS3s) dollars per annum. II ne desires
10 carry an accident policy he will pay
as much for 5000 as other citizens VIII
pay for a ten thousand (SlO,U9) dollars
policy, and in fact, two thousand dollar
ACCIDENT insurance policy is the full limit
NV
life
The life of a fireman is also one of the
most trying in many ways. lie Is on
duty tWenty-four hours each DAY, ana
he is at all times ready for duty, night
and day. AS he retireS each evening ne
prepares his '-hurTy-up boots (aS they
are termed), and places them IN the most
convenient place possible, so that ne
may immediate jump into them IN
response to an alarm. He IS also very
careful TO lay down in that position
which shall give him all the. advantage
possible to respond promptly. My friends
ne does not retire with the full eXpectar
until awakened by the singing OF the
birds on a beautiful summer morning.
or in winter when 1t registers below zero
has he any thought of being able TO
gel up and dress comfortably before ven
turing out in the severe cold ana stormy
weather His thoughts on retiring are
how shall l respond most promptly; no
thought of cold weather, no thousht o.
danger. only the thought or setunS 10
The fire and extinguishing it as quickly
rs possible. As you pass Inc eng .11t,
still: all are asleep except the night
watch. Bang! Bang. goes the alarm:
1t is Just fifteen seconds since II nESI
struck and all the apparatus are spS St5S
ing toward the scene OF the IRE Inc
engine house looks deserted, Whlcn: puI
a few seconds ago seemed a mass OF COR
fusion. Horses jumping tc their placeS'
men hitching them, the drivers mount
ing to their seats, all accomplished in a
Jew seconds. See them as they rush
furiously along the street; hreInen en-
1ieavoriTe to get on their rubber coats
and hats. Almost ere they nave SUI
ceeded the fire is reached. VITA q lusn
water turned on, and it Is JUST Two
minutes since all The fremen were Souhu
asleep See, now they are IN the putting,
fighting the fire with the courage, anu
-,5ssterT1Sination OF a NapoleOn's guard, en-
VeIoped by dense black smoke. lou .st
hear them press onward INTO the 5Iiu ~
of the fire, surrounded on every 1iu +l,aiI.
fire. vet never faltering they play thSL
with marked ERECT 1nch ny
finch they are gaining control OF tne III
They hold on to the nozzle Win an -, 49,
strength but the pressure is very Sfedt,
and often in Two hours desperate DdltS
they are almost exhausted. Aany u
them have been dreadrully SICK og u ~
haIine- so much smoke, ana as lot oeLns
xT-at The good Baptist preacher Fever M
,nersed a convert 20 his ialth n ;i.
than they were. Inc SUI ~; IN n
n
al as a firemans baptism IS lIn1herslO ,
very frequently ana perLecTtts
regardless of the season II may DC
Wien The thermometer Is ten ptloM
80 mat his Immersion continues Tor
several hours: all this is part OF tle
duties Of fireman,
, Net and cold they return 10 theiT qua.
- +I,ay are not met by the pleasant 1
smiles of their wives, whose presence a. Z
hat time would cheer them' anu We @
doubtedly greet them WIN WIN III ~ I'M Aalis
Them. They must place ory nose ~ et1e
70 pons. prepare the chemical engine see
that the horses are thor .1tigls .tst are
down. In fact, the many tnlnsS Jtst1 a.
9ecessary to attend to atter hshtiins q 4
ire is only known to the hrenen 9 fnvI
selves. 1t may be that they H. ~ orc ali [
,tiisS duties are completed; but they must
,e attended to first No matter nov e Ia ~ -
hey have labo,red at coI 1de n" may
lldt'ei md il may be that another
farm is sounded ere they nave con- SInf-
1Iefed their preparations Away tliey ~.
80 thought of their c SllSree dieniayed.
I,iSeir mission is a mission OF love anu IA
1aod deeds. Their inhuman1ty 10 man .L ~
he performance OF autS VII VII IA And for
III this they receive the munhcent sal
ary of $50. per month ,,- ,,.ono,t,, ar
rour life at the risk of losing their own
e the duty of the fireman. Al an iiiIss
and under all conditions they ,, must rsa,,, rer
! po.I~t duties to attend to, examine
ire rec escapes and buildings, learn to be
.one proficient in the use OF al apPar-
-tus for extinguishinS hres ana II Is ,neir
INV to be courteous and gentlemanly in
n their actions. =.
TO enjoy the pleasure OF an evening a.
,o-1e fhev are allowed four days in the
month Those they can Enjoy {be with IS th 9o
lam Of fire; if there is, it is their duty
q respond just the same as if they
rere at the engine house. And II they
honId desire to go outside the city limits
hen off duty, they must first obtain per-
Mission from the Chief Engineer. As
l1is short sketch written by a fireman,
haII snow, the life of a fireman is
lot one continual round OF pleasure as
1any suppose They are always on duty,
nd rntst not leave quarters A visit to
he departments will interest you. and
he BOYS will treat you all cordially.
ONE and see US.
Yours Truly,
FIREMAN.