Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-10-17
ALBUQUERQUE Must
EQUIP ITS FIRE
DEPARTMENT
WARNING FROM VETERAN
OF MANY CONGREGATIONS
Chief Roberts of Denver Says
This City Can No Longer
Count on Luck to Protect II
Against Flames.

80, 49, wac ~ iiAdhs III -
the head of the Denver fire depart
ment and who is now making a short
tour of the southwest with Fighting
the Flames the big fire show which
appeared here during the fair. be-
lieves that Albuquerque is in grave
and hourly danger of destruction by
fire because of insufficient fire fight
ing equipment. Chief Roberts left
last night for Ell Paso after a stay Of
ten days here. During hal time he
had ar opportunity to study the fire
department and to watch it at work
at several small fires. His conclu-
ions are very much Of a warning tG
Albuquerque that it must prepare for
the inevitable or be ready to take its
medicine when the first big fire fidds
the city department unprepared 10
cope with the flames.
II have seen your fire department
at work. said Chief Roberts yester-
day" and so far as it goes it is e1ti-
cient and well directed. 1t gets ou,
quickly. which Is the most important
thing in fighting fire, and Il works
well. But no depa .Inent. no matter
how quick it is )r how web directed,
can hope to combat fire successfully
without equipment. and youS equip
ment here is sadly lacking. u have
been intensely surprised AT the lack
.: equipment here and in view Of that
deficiency, at your low rate of fire
loss. which | am informed was but
$4,000 last year. This is a remarkable
IA record for a town the size of Albu-
querque. and while the efficiency Of
your department has doubtless had
much to do with it, it can be laid in
large measure to the credit of luck.
Now luck is all right so long as It is
with you, but luck never stands up
long in fighting fire. and your time
will come here, just as IL comes in
every town of any size, and as It has
come to Denver and every city of
which l know. If II finds you UNI
prepared here l wouldn't give much
for your chances.
And the unacceptable thing about
fire Is that 1t is likely to come at any
time. You may "a a long run Of
luck here and escape big fires for
some time to come. But on the other.
hand the fire may come tonight or to-
morrow night or mex week that will
wipe out your town. | am not pre-
dieting disaster here, for your equip
ment is as good as most western
towns of this size, and sadly enoug.i
II usually requires a severe lesson,
such as Bisbee had not long ago. to
convince the government of a west-
ern town that 1t necessary to
spend money for fire protection. We
had to fight for many long years ~
Denver to get sufficient money 81
maintain an adequate fire depart
ment, and II was not until many a
severe lesson had been taught. and 1t
was not until there vas a definite
danger OF a doubling of Insurance
rates that action could be secured
Fortunately for Denver. she now has
a mayor who has served in every de-
partment Of the city government. who
realizes the Imperative need OF ade-
quate fire fighting equipment. and
who is so increasing the %appropria-
tion for the fire department that Den
yer now has one Of the most thor
oughly equipped departments in tn
country.
"Bisbee has learned her lesson ana
is spending thousands Of dollars fbr
ilIf equipment. buA u SilNuNh HbA bt
necessary to have such a lesson as Bis.
bee had to copvince men of the need
Of fire protection. You have a big
town here. and one that is growing
rapidly. The other evening ! say
your department make a run across
the tracks into what is called the
Highlands The department made a
splendid start. I timed the run from
the time the whistle sounded until
the wagon was crossing the track. ami
IL could not have been done in better
time anywhere. But had the fire IN
the Highlands been a serious one. and
had there been a high wind. no power
on earth could have saved the burn
ing property from serious damage.
The run Is too long. You need a sub
station In the Highlands. So that your
main department may be always al
hand to protect the business district
whore the heavy property values are.
I'm Aerial Truck imperative.
In one thing / have been intensely
surprised. and that Is that your de-
partment has no ladder truck This
town has a number Of buildings in
which a big fire might easily origi-
nate. aud in that event you could no
more save lives ia the upper stories
without e truck than YOU could with
an old fashioned ladder In a sixteen
story sky-scraper. n u 20 be hoped
that this CITY will not wait for a Sc
Tfes 81 grim deaths by fire before buy
ing this vitality necessary equipment
The cost Of an aerial truck adequate
for your purpose here is comparative
y small The modern fire truck can
he raised Ia live seconds. and It Is the
greatest life swing invention possess
ed By any fire fighting service. such
= truck D. absolutely necessary Co n
proper equipment 81 your departme7-
here.
You will find. too. in the long run
that IL Will De necessary 20 supply a
Sreamf Your pressure here u good,
hut no unaided water pressure viii u
Coz fighting q big fire Your mains are
good and wiz stand the strain 81 any
steamer made With a secon size
steamer. not necessarily q large one.
aud = well equipped. modern truck.
vnu viii have an equipment which fr~
the present viii b adequate But