Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-30
PREPARED TO SAVE LIVES
Omaha Firemen Ready to Fight Death as
Well as Flames.
CHIEF sALTER TALKS ON THE TOPIC
BIS Men Well Trained in Use of
hOdern Appliances and Fairly
Well Equipped with
az Apparatus.

Whether 1t Is because fires seldom occur
In Omaha that make a serious demand upon
the efficiency and discipline Of the gallant
men who make up the regular FIRE DEPART
ment, or that fires involving great danger
TO persons in buildings and to the nremen
themselves are still rarer, the public has
rev opportunities to witness daring work
or thrilling rescues, but deserved confidence
In their capacity has been won by Omaha's
nre-hghters in actual battles with flames.
and Is greatly enhanced by the fact that
they keep in lively training for meeting
and effectively responding to any and all
contingencies involving hazard to lives or
property. While all the fremen are given
opportunities for practice with life-sayipg
and special ~fre-hghting apparatus. the
only special equipment for these purposes
Is at engine house No. 3, where, also. are
facilities enabling the firemen to practice
dinicult climbing feats, the use of pompier
ladders, handling life-saving net and other
special exercises.
Omaha Men Wen Trained.
only a very few cities in the United
States provide their fire departments with
every device found to be OF a practical
character and find It necessary to conduct
regularly schools OF training. New York.
Chicago and possibly Philadelphia, but re-
ports Of these schools Of training and de-
scriptions of the kind Of apparatus and how
1t Is handled go q long ways toward in
creasing the efficiency of fremen every
where" said Chief Salter yesterday. G
where you will, you will not find better In
formed fremen than guard the city Of
Omaha. At engine house No. 3 we have,
besides the usual ladders, four pompier
ladders, three of the latter being enough
to form what is called a chain. These lad
ders are only used to ascend to otherwise
inaccessible points on a building, and of
course are invaluable when life is endan-
gered by reason Of the cutting of OF the
ordinary means of exit. They are light,
but strong, and any of our firemen can, by
their use, climb to the roof OF the highest
building in very short order. The man
taking the lead carries the end OF a rope
and this is made fast. The men handlins
these ladders are provided with a belt, to
which is attached a strong hook. Should
It become necessary to carry a helpless
person to the street, the fireman gives
two wraps of the rope around the hook, and
this acts as a brake and admits of the fire.
man devoting himself freely to the work
of rescue. Nevertheless, 1t requires superb
nerve oftentimes, but no one has reason to
doubt that Omaha's 1remen possess that
to a high degree. Then, too, these hooks
are used in connection with the pompier
scaling ladders, and by attaching the hook
to the pole of the ladder the fireman is
enabled to have free use Of his arms to
either render aid to save life or to CO.
operate with the other hremen.
How the Men Keep Trained.
Our men keep in training in the use Of
these life-saving facilities and all the de-
partment's life-saving apparatus is carried
on the wagon to every fire. Another thing
Of no small Importance in these days Of i'm
provements and new methods, our men
profit by careful study OF the special means
employed in the very large cities to save
life and property. and, while we do not have
an equipment equal to New York, for ex-
ample. we profit by studying and discussing
new methods. Our men are exceedingly
we'll informed in this way and supplement
the facilities we have on hand with apt
knowledge Of the exact thing to do In
emergencies. After all. that which rem
ders special equipment Of real value is the
intelligence. skill and bravery Of the men.
We have a substantial equipment and an
equipment we'll fitted in character to fight
any fire. or course. an ideal equipment
would mean the duplication in various Sec
tions OF the city Of the special facilities we
have at engine house No. 8.
when the Net IL Needed
1T sometimes occurs that the pompier
ladders cannot be used" continued Chief
6alter, ION account Of flames and smoke
bursting from windows. Should life be In
jeopardy we have a spring net into which
persons can leap with safety, where other
wise a jump means death. The success OF
the spring net is due in no small degree
to the GOODNESS Of the person in danger.
A leap to the net should always be gagged
SO that 1t will be struck as nearly as pos
sible in the center. thus distributing the
strain nearly equally on the Hremen hold
ing It. Our men are practiced in net hold
ing and should It ever become necessary to
bring It into service, skillful hands will
hold II.
"While Omaha has escaped disastrous
fires and has had few fires involving the
loss OF life. our men have proven in less
serious tests their daring. skill and care
fulness OF training. Among many instances
that might be referred to was the exhibit