The sun., 1898-12-22
NEW FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
After the First Of January the
Changes Will Be in Good
Working Order.
TWO TAPS MEAN FIRE Is OUT
The Alterations in the Old System
Will Make Wonderful Improve.
ment In Many Ways Over the
Present Imperfect Arrange
ment of Fire Signals.

The changes in the alarm system Will
be in use after January l, 1899. Two
strokes of the fire bell will indicate that
the fire is out and the companies housed
instead of one as is now used to indicate
thatthe fire is, under control.
Although it may not be generally
known, this is one of the most import
ant changes made by the proposed new
ordinance of Chief George w. Sasse.
That portion of the rules governing the
fire companies which relates to the single
alarm at present reads as follows: "When
a portion of the department answers an
alarm, and should another alarm be
given from any other box before the sim
gle stroke is given, all companies in
quarters that respond to said box on
first and second alarms shall immedi-
ately respond" That is all very we'll so
far as it goes, but just in this clause a
hitch comes in. Suppose, for instance,
an alarm comes in from box No. 13, at
Fifth and French streets, to which COM
panies Nos. 2, and respond on the
first alarm, and Nos. l, 6 and 8 on the
second. Upon the first call the Reli-
ance, Phoenix and Washington compan-
les 20 out and the Friendship, Fame and
Liberty remain in their homes, with
horses hooked up awaiting the second
alarm.
Arriving at the fire the companies who
respond find that, though it is q blaze
that may require an hours work, it can
be controlled by the companies on the
ground, and the single tap is sent in,
signifying that the fire is under control.
The second alarm companies, with all
the rest in quarters, unhitcb their horses
and send them back.
Now supposing short time after box
| No. Is strikes, and while the first COM
panies to respond are working on the fire
and though it may be under control, yet
they cannot leave it with safety, an
alarm comes in from box No. 1l3, at
Thirteenth and Lombard streets. To
this alarm companies Nos 2, and and
l., and 8 also respond upon the first
and second calls. All companies, OF
course, at once hook up and there they
stand as, although the single tap has
been sent in indicating that the fire is
under control, the companies that re-
spond to the first alarm may still be at
the original fire, and those that 20 out OH
the second alarm are not permitted to
leave their engine houses until such an
alarm comes in as by the single tap
previously sent in the other companies
are supposed to have returned from the
fire at box No. l3 and to have gone out
on the alarm from box No. ll3. OF
course tile facts could be learned by the
use of a telepone, but in cases of fire ii is
not always advisable to use phone to
locate the different companies.
This is not the only instance in which
the same companies respond to different
boxes on the same calls. It occurs at
boxes Nos. 2 and 7, Is and III, 81 and
1l5, 70 and 1l2, and several others. OF
course snch an instance may be Of rare
occurrence, but the old saying, "If you
need it you need it badly" applies in
most cases to the need OF engines at a
fire, and everything possible should be
done to facilitate their quick arrival on
the scene.
Under the proposed new plan, chang.
ing the number of box to l43, and
sending in two strokes when the COM
panies are housed any mistake will be
avoided for, unless the two strokes come
in, the companies that respond to box
on a second alarm, knowing the fret
alarm companies are still out, will re-
spond to the fret alarm from any other
box, which calls out the engines already
in service, to which they are required to
respond on second call. Chief Sasse's
plan is good one, and should meet the
approval Of all the firemen.