Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-29
FIRE ALARM SIGNALS.
Chief Engineer Davies Makes New
Card Giving Full List.

Chief Engineer Davie of the fire de-
partment has just completed a new
running card which is now in effect
with all the companies of the city. 1t
will be noted doubtless that the list of
boxes has been considerably heightened
during the past year. 1t has not been
very long in doubling and the city is
now pretty well covered by the boxes.
A good many minor changes have been
made in the rules and regulate 1t
has been the aim of Chief Davies to re-
lieve the alarm as much as possible in
the special signals sotthey have been
shortened where this could be done
without confusion. After every alarm
is sounded for fire the system has to
be reWound and there is always a
chance OF another alarm following
promptly before this can be done and
in that case the bell might not sound
properly and confusion would result.
In a fire department all the POSSIBLE
ties have to be considered and arranged
for as much as possible, hence the spec
ial signals have been arranged so as to
work the bell as little as possible.
One of the most important changes
will be noted in the sentence, Hose
Company No. 2 only will respond to
steamer calIs.' Now that the steamer
is kept in tibet Hose house this COM
pany will be the most convenient one
to go with it when it is called out. 1t
is necessary to have some regulation
of this sort when calls for aid are re-
ceved from out of town as otherwise
the city might itself be left without
adequate protection. So in the future
Hose 2 alone will go with the steamer,
especially when she is called out of
town.
The instructions for ringing an alarm
have been condensed and are now so
clear that it seems as if anyone might
understand just how to do the trick. A
thing that should be emphasized in this
connection is the Importance of re-
mining beside the box after the alarm
is rung in until the apparatus arrives
Many delays in times past have been
caused by failure to do this. Unless the
fire is large enough to be located with
out doubt the teams go to the box that
is rung in and the person giving the
alarm should always be there to tell
them where to go next.
Another change has been made in the
mo School" signal and the curfew.
Hours have been fixed for the former
both in the forenoon and afternoon and
hereafter the signal will be sounded at
those hours. 1t has been sounded at va
rious hours in times past and has
caused some confusion
The schedule for the curfeW has been
fixed. that of winter being from Octo-
Der to May when the signal will sound
at O'Clock and that of summer from
May to October when it will sound at
Q O'Clock Some minor changes will be
noted, but these are the principal ones.
The chief suggests that when the new
running card is Quit IS now in the
hands of the printer-that all the old
ones be destroyed to avoid confusion.
Enough will be printed so that all who
need them can have one with all the
new regulations end all the boxes and
their locations. The following is the
new card:
ITO give an alarm, go to the box
nearest the location of the fire; break
the glass in. small box to get the key;
omen the door; pull the hook to the bot
tom Of the slot once and let CO.
! IF you have no. response from the
big ben or the small bell inside the box,
so, to. the next nearest box and repeat |
as before. Remain by the box until the
arrives
Never give an alarm for fire seen |
at distance"
"Never open a box except to give an
alarm.
Never pull the hook second time
without orders from the chief engi-
neer'
whoever makes or circulates or
auses to be made or circulated, false
Llarm of fire. shall be punished accord +
ng to law.
members of companies not respond
ng to first alarms shall report to their
espective houses and remain there ~
minutes. unless a recall is sounded.
should an alarm from another box in