The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
4 CoLLEGE FOR FIREMEN.
Br-utano'- I--t;. alton Where . Men Can
Receive .ur-r OF Instruction In Fight
ing Fire BASED Upon Experience.

Br-utnno'- T--t:. alton Where . Men Can
Receive . Z .ur-- OF Instruction In Fight
ing Fire BASED Upon Experience.
1t Is proposed that a college for fremen shall
be established in New York By q number of
business men, headed By Simon Brentano. well
known for the interest he has displayed for
years in all matters pertaining to the Fire
Department. Mr.. Brcntano has preached this
Goctrine-the necessity for n fremen's college
for some years. The institution. It Is intended,
will have a regular faculty. composed nos Of
theorists, but OF men TO whom fighting fire is
familiar. who have made 1t their life work, and
who know every detail of the proper methods
Of procedure. II is facts. practical and sim
pie, that the students will be taught. There
will be actua! illustrations OF just what 10
to be done, and the cause will be shown
that leads to the necessity. There will be a
II room In which small houses will be fred in
various ways. and the students will be taught
exactly what to do under all emergencies likely
to occur. These are the things that will mako
tircmen, say Mr.. Brcntano and his associates.
They hold that experience Is the teacher whose
methods make the strongest impression. and so
they want tn make this institution one OF which
experience will he the president. and fact,
realism, and emergency the three leading pro-
fessors. Mr.. Brcntano. using the New York
Fire Department rs a basis Of consideration.
said about his plan:
while we lave what is perhaps tho finest
flre department IN the world. we lack one i'm
portant essential. We have no fire literature,
ana. Consequently. no means of perpe;uating
sors. Take. for instance. Chief Bonner. He is a
man who. by practice and experience. is as COM
cutnsiances, when he dies his experience dies
with him, and his successor has to go all over
the same ground. and learn all that he knows.
For instance, 1t Is one thing for ircmen in a
country town 70 handle u FIRE in a big factory
building. when perhaps they never before and
never will again have such n tlro to handle. II
IniEAt be somewhat difficult to find a firm will
trHte how such a nrc might be handled. where
as 1t would be Il comparatively easy matter to
erect what inixht be called a property, factory,
ana by this illustrate Just how such q fire could
Such II college once started in New York.
where fire chiefs from all over the country
could come and be instructed In the best and
most practical methods Of handling n fire on
any floor or any part Of n building. would soon
be productive of similar colleges in other big
cities throughout IL" country. The result would
through his preparatory Instruction.. an ex-
perience equal TO that OF the best.
rem Al9'h IS , i"T1' ,S Il,Ss ,H wh IRE 9 so s,nnsS wSu Of
examinations might be arrived at which is inn
possible under the present conditions. Al
present the examination of the would-be fre-
mar is, to II ccrratn extent, n stock set OF qnes;
tons, One or two men on the Exam ming Board
may De practical and ask practical questions.
hut they cannot ask such general questions as
are necessary to prove That AN applicant for II
bAaNN 10 'ilIl Dutl tNthIlDIlN ~ Olll 10
propounded by those familiar with fires in Nil
their different phases. and the method Of com
Dating thom under NIL sorts of conditions.
If these examiners had recourse to the per-
sohal experience OF various fire chiefs through
ont tho country for years past they could AT
once "ngEeat questions which would promptl
GemunstrItc the itness or unltness OF the can
aiIate for MI branches of the service. This
lIea or u college for iireInen Is SO nearly n com
pleted TACT that Il number of gcntlcincn who are
Interested In tho matter as much as myself
nave decided TO undertake with me the estab-
lishnent Of such an institution In the very near
future. It will he the first institution of Its
taDlisLea IT'S graduates. carry ing n certiiicate OF
graduation from the New York College for Fire
men. VIII beyond all question be the men who
VIII direct the work OF the forces fighting the
flames, whether 1t be the lonely hayrick of some
farmer miles from town or a big building tow
erihg iu0 feet above tho street. with its thou
SAND offices, costing u million OF dollars.
w o need a college where those who wish to
adopt the profession OF a fireman cnn receive
Praftichl, competent. aud Systematic training
In the science and methods OF fire eXtlnguish-
ment.. We need a college where tho Individual
experience OF the fremen, the improvements
ana progress in the service, cnn lie anthorta-
us practice shah prevail and give equal advan.
taEe 70 all departments to obtain, enlarge, and
practice the best art of fire. eXtinRulshing. We
neeI a college that will be accepted by ilremen
and which Will gather and broaden and perpet-
uate ME host -means and methods OF fire ex-
tingplshment.
That those, Ia charge OF large industrial plants
and valuable property may DO taught to be efl-
cieht IN the use OF the stationary appliances
Lilat, are usually present, so that such persons
cah, become "a source OF cooperation with instead
or neIrlihent to a department. In fact. we need
u college, because IL would compel the recogni-
tion OF ilre extinRuishment rs 0 science. and
because II would exert an active influence In
removing tho service from the field OF politics."
Turk eys.