Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-15
CITIZENS SUGGEST PLANS
METHODS OFaAVUDING COLLISIONS
WITH FIRE ENGINES.
Rules of the Department Governing
the Responses to Alarms
The Runming Card.

The District Commissioners are still IN re-
ceipt of communications from citizens sug-
costing methods by (which collisions be-
tween the fire department apparatus ana
street cars mayabe avoided. The majority
Of these correspondents recommend the
adoption of the near.side rule for the ordi-
nary stops of the cars, and also the stop
ping of cars before passing over the routes
commonly used by the fire department COM
panies in responding to alarms OF nre.
Many of those making suggestions appear
to believe that there is an absence OF rules
requiring the drivers Of the fire department
apparatus to slow up before crossing car
tracks, and they suggest that the drivers
be directed to do so hereafter.
r The rules and regulations governing the
officers and men of the fire department, as
approved by the Commissioners, make II
the duty of every member thereon TO exer-
else the. greatest caution in responding to
alarms OF fire, and also In returning tnere-
from. indeed, there are no less than nVe
separate and distinct rules covering th.s
matter. The first, section OF article .,
says that foremen of companies shall not
permit racing while going to or returning
from fires or alarms of fires, and secuoh .
of the same article makes 1t VOCATION "
the rules for foreman to permit the ap-
paratuS to be driven al rate OF speed ma
BILE to cause accident and directs tnat III
responding to alarms the bells upon all APP
pdIdluS dIlu NeHiCleS u tIC dePeAi eAAA>AA>
be rung upon approaching interesting
streets and roadways and at all otner Times
when necessary and proper. Section 90 OF
this article directs the foremen 10 use ar
necessary precaution IN crossing steam anu
street railway tracks.
The Ringing of the Bells.
The ringing of the bells Of the apparatus
and other vehicles of the department is
also made the subject of section Al, OF ar
ticle II, of the rules and regulations, and the
following section again emphasizes the ne
cessity for using every precautton on the
way to fires These sections are as FOL
lows:
Sec. Al To guard against collisions and
accidents when proceeding to fires, the peilS
and gongS shall be rung at short intervals,
and always approaching street crossings.
Sec. As. All proper dispatch shail be used
In reaching fire consistent with saIety.
officers of the companies shall hold tnelr
drivers responsible Cor reckless driving.
When turning corners or turning from rail
road tracks the drivers shall lessen their
speed. even to a walk, if necessary
What the Men Say.
These rules are all well enough, say the
members of the fire department, but they
claim that if a company fails to arrive at
a fire in the order in which 1t Is due on
the running card the foreman Is Sharply
reprimanded. For this reason. it is stated,
the commanding officers of the companies
send them along rapidly as possible, and
in many cases, it is asserted. take chances
that they would not take if they did not
feel that little consideration awaited them
in the event of their failure to reach the
scene of the fire in the order required by
the running card
In many cases, the men say, the distance
between two companies and the fire alarm
box is SO evenly divided that few seconds
delay on the part of the company first
due enables the other company to beat it
there, and then the foreman of the belated
company is reprimanded. Some Of the men
also claim that the running card could be
revised with great benefit, not only to the
men, but also to the public.
While these complaints OF the men may
may not have been well founded in the
past, they may rest assured that Commits
sioner Macfarland, who has immediate
charge of the fire department, will not
sanction the punishment or reprimandng
of any man who may be tardy in arriving
at a box through the Observance of neces-
sary precaution on1the way. All Mr.. Mac
farland expects Of the men is, as provided
by the rules, that all proper dispatch, con-
sistent with safety. shall be used in reach
inc fro