The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1901-12-19
KNOW THE BUILDINGS
FIREMsN ATTACK FIRES TO THE
BEST ADVANTAGE.
An Or,iai OF the New YORK Department
Tells OF the Advantages Of an Accu-
rate knowledge Of Zig Bundings-
This Requires study.

THE rules Of the department" said
New York FIRE department Official To
the New York Sun. require all cap
tains Of engine and truck companies
TO Inspect regularly at intervals OF
three months all buildings OF a public
90 semi-public character within their
respective districts The buildings
thus inspected include hotels. theaters,
hospitals. asylums. stores and ware
houses. public halls and SO on; prac-
Ideally all buildings, In fact, except
private dwellings. and In this way the
commanding officers Of companies be-
come acquainted with the interior OF
every important building. within their
district boundaries. The captain Of a
nre company knows where the stair
ways are and the elevator shafts II
there are any; whore the fire escapes
are. and the doors and windows. and
Other opening, skylights and so on.
In short he knows the inside Of the
building and In case OF fire in 1t he
does not approach the building as a
stranger nor Lose a minute hunting
around inside 10 know what TO dc or
where 10 90. He knows Ell that before
he gets into tho building at all, and
according to- the floor the FIRE Is on.
DC goes straight 10 1t without a mo-
mcnts doubt OF hesitation or loss OF
time. II might be. for Instance, thai
thc officer in charge at a fire on tho
third floor OF some building would
want TO get at It from some more ad-
yantageous point He would. from his
precise and accurate knowledge OF the
buildings thereabouts. know Just how
10 go about II in the best possible way
Say this fire Is in a building at
such-and-such a street He sends men
into No. 3. telling them that ten feet
back from the top Of the third fight
OF stairs they viii find a recessed place
In the wan. where formerly there had
Teen door through into No. / and
which would be tle quickest and easl-
cst spot 70 break through. the wall at
that point being thinner The com
raay commander knows the buildings
IN this district thoroughly and as a
matter or fact the battalion comman-
ders and other higher officers Of the
force know the buildings within the
larger area OF the district over which
they have supervision correspondingly
we'll. The rules OF the department re-
qulre that on appointment into the
service a fireman must serve three
years at least below Fifty-ninth
street. in the course OF which time. In
whatever rank he may be, he must
get some knowledge, in general way
at least, OF the buildings In the most
densely built-up part Of the city. When
a man is promoted he is more than
likely TO be sent TO some other com
pany than the one in which he had
been serving And as assistant fore
man, or lieutenant. Of FIRE company.
he Is required to know the buildings
within the district OF the company 10
which he Is attached. A captain pro-
NOTED to be battalion chief may be as
signed TO another battalion district:
but Il may be one in which he had
previously served in some capacity.
and comprising some company dis
tricts OF which be had gained exact
knowledge while serving in II as an
oficer of company. OF course he
sets himself TO learning all the other
company districts and II. indeed. he
did not know them elready. he soon
comes to know his battalion district
thoroughly. and he keeps up his
knowledge OF II BY constant study
With such training and experience.
supplemented by constant inspection
OF new buildings. II becomes possible
icr one man to know the whole town
thoroughly; as. for example. Fire
Chief Croker knows IT. II lie said OF
Chief Croker that he knows every
building downtown: and 1t would no
doubt b. literally true to say of him |
that he knows from personal observa-
ton. inside and out. every structure OF
inheritance on Manhattan Island"