The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-19
BY THE FIRE BOARD
Important Action Taken by the Com
mittee Yesterday.
REGARDING THEVOLUNTEERS
The Chairman Should Be Given
More Power, Ii Is Contended-
Purchases Considered and
Other Transactions.
REGARDING THE VOLUNTEERS

Important action was taken by the
fire committee yesterday in regard to
the volunteers. For years Butte was
maintained solely by a volunteer fire
department and after the paid system
was inaugurated a volunteer organiza-
alton was still kept up, the system be-
ing inaugurated of paying the volun-
teers 70 cents per hour for actual SER
vice at the fire.
The conclusion arrived at by Alder
men Schatzlein, Byrne, Pascoe and
Montgomery, the members of the fire
committee. at yesterdays meeting, was
that this system has become a failure
and should be discontinued. Alderman
Schatzlein stated that the number of
volunteers who assist at fires now can
be counted on the fingers of one hand.
The volunteer organization, Alderman
Byrne said, Is now mainly a social or
ganization, and the members are
chosen for their social qualities rather
than for their abilities as firemen. The
aldermen present all thought that two
paid firemen would be of greater SER
vice to the city, and in very few cases
would a fire reach such proportions
that the paid firemen would be unable
to handle 1t. In case of a general con-
Migration every good citizen is a fire
man and will gladly do what he can to
assist the department in extinguishing
the flames. 1t was accordingly recon-
mended that volunteer firemen be no
longer paid for their services and that
instead the paid department be in
creased by the addition of two men.
Another matter that was talked of
at length was the matter of removing
the chief of the fire department from
the influence of Official changes. The
aldermen all agreed that Butte could
not have a first class fire chief until the
chief is kept at the head of the depart
ment irrespective of changes of adj
ministration. 1t was also considered
wise that the Butte fire department
should not have the election of the
chief or be allowed TO make recon-
mendations as to the chief. The COM
mittee expressed the view that the
fire business is n trade and that eff
cheney comes with experience. No rec
ommcndation is made in regard to this
point as yet however.
Alderman Schatzlein declar red that he
would take steps at once to have the
firemen made proficient in the use OF
the aerial ladder. There is no way of
reaching fires in the top of the Butte
hotel. the Owsley block or the Lewisohn
block, except by means of the aerial
ladders. and persons imprisoned by fire
in the upper stories OF those buildings
coutu only De FeScueu Dy IndI means.
The ladder has never been required at
a fire, but may be needed any time
and when 1t is needed II is essential
that the men know how to handle II
He proposed to have the fire
men trained to use the ladder
effectively.
1T was recognized by the committee
that the departments not yet in rs good
shape as IL should be. The committee
decided to recommend the purchase o.
another horse and of more hose. and
that bids be advertised for to furnish
the city with a new chemical wagon
and TO receive bids for the sale of the
old chemical wagon. 1t was also rec
commended that the salary of George
Kessler be increased SO per month on
account of his extra services as cleo
trician. 1t was the sense of the COM
mittee that rigid economy so far as il
pertains to the fire department is e
mistaken idea and may prove very ex- |
pensive in the long run. II was though.
that the chairman of the fire committc
should be empowered to give orders for |
all minor articles and supplies needed |
In the department.