The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-07-04

very man knows his exact duty, and all
have been repeatedly drilled in it; and
they perform this fire drill with aston
ishing precision and celebrity, and they
are kept sharp up to it and always
ready by frequent surprise tests.
In another such establishment they
have surprise test fire drills OF the
store fire brigade at least once week.
Here the head OF the fire department is
known as the CHIEF, and the time of the
fire drills is never known to anybody
but the superintendent OF the store.
In this store besides fire drills after the
close of business they manage to have
tets before the opening, and also in the
course OF business hours, the tests in
business hours being managed some
what differently from the others.
Scattered throughout this store there
are hundreds Of telephones all connect
ing with the desk OF the superintep-
dent; there is no place in the store
where one Is not within fifty feet OF a
telephone. Certain specified employees
on the several floors are empowered to
send in a fire alarm if there should be
occasion for one, and this alarm is sent
by a password which is always the
same, but which is not the word fire. If
the word fire were used customers with
in hearing might be alarmed. The fire
signal is given on bell that is used
for indicating the opening and the
closing of the store and the hours for
luncheon.
In case of a surprise test fire drill
here in business hours the members of
the store fire brigade are required to
move through the store in such a man
ner as not to excite. alarm; but on the
employees stairways they may move as
rapidly as they can; and men on fire
drill duty can commander elevators;
and in this way they manage to have
fire drills in business hours as well as
before and after the opening.
Here, at every surprise test drill, a
prize Of some sort is given to the first
man arriving at the station indicated;
and here at intervals of a month or so
the fire brigade is assembled for little
lecture on it's duties, commonly deliv-
cred by the superintendent, this talk
being more especially designed for such
new members as may have more lately
Joined the force.
In some smaller cities and towns,
where fire alarms are infrequent, sur
prise tests are made of the fire depart
ment, to keep the men up to their du-
ties, and to see that the apparatus is
fit and ready. Here, where eight thou
sand fire alarms are sounded in the
course of a year, such tests are not re-
quired; though nobody could tell wheth-
er an alarm was not surprise test,
sounded by the commissioner or the
chief at the next corner. But surprise
tests are not needed here, for actual
alarms, real tests, are liable to come,
as they do, at any minute of the day or
night, and men, horses and apparatus
are always ready. 81 #
Fire drills are held once week in the
various public institutions on Black
wells, Randalrs and Wards Islands,
these drills being held under the auper-
vision of an officer sent from the New
York fire department. And fire drills
are held in theaters, in breweries tand
on wharves; and fire drills with sur
prise tests are held in hospitals.
At Bellevue hospital surprise test fire
drills are made at least twice week;
and these tests, which are made under
the direction Of superintendent Rick
ard, are made at all hours Of the: day
and night. They may be made at two
o'clock in the afternoon or at one O'Clock
in the morning or at any hour, and they
are always surprise tests.
And it is curious and interesting
fact that these drills do not alarm the
patients--they are SO frequent. Some