Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-05-17
FIRE DEP ARTMENT
ALDERMAN READE MAKES SOME
PERTINENT SUGGESTIONS 10 /
M CITY COUNCIL.
ADvocATEs A PARTIALLY PAID
RTMEkT-MATTER in
tiAfsnssoF COMMITTEE.

At the last meeting Of the city.
council the following communication
from Alderman Reade was read and
referred to the FIRE and water com
Sn,ittees with request to report at
the next meeting the needs OF the
I fire department:
Gentlemen: The subject which /
am about toSoffer for your considera-
stIonthe establishment, equipment
and maintenance OF are Departments
IN cities of !, 900 population and nm:
dersis one that Is much more far:
reaching IN effect and OF deeper sig
sniHcance 60 the future Of IRE protec-
/ ton throughout the country, than 4
mere statement Of the subject at first
suggests, and il in the course of my.
statements of the subjects as they APP
pear to my mind, I am dwelling
strongly upon the paid fire depart
ment,le let me assure you that it is,
done so.in the. least to lessen the con-
fdence that I now, have and will ever
maintain towards the volunteer, fire.
men, well knowing that the. yolun-
teer firemeni lis the one that will for.
years to; come he the ones that we,
In this state and In our small cities,
will have to look to for protection.
But "A am convinced Of the. fact that
the time has arrived ins this city when
steps should be taken to replace our
present fire department with at least
q partial paid department on account
of the great area we have to cover in
protesting all OF our citizens from
fire. Therefore when a community
casts aside it's village form and as
sumes the garb Of a city, there is al
ways existent some type Of organiza-
ton for lighting fire, which from the
nature Of things is based upon sys-
| tenn Of volunteer service The change
In methods OF local government does
not at once affect this particular de.
partment on which the safeguarding
OF property is largely. dependent. AS
1 q result. the continuance OF the ex
listing organization is necessary This
4 condition remains for few, or many
i years, according to the growth, ths
wealth and the enterprise of the little
city, and the customs and practices
which have grown up In the village
h department become more or less es
bablished in the municipal depart
ment. 1900.
The effect OF this unavoidable con
tinuance Of the village method Of fire
h protection, is to impose upon the city
q system, which has grown up under
different volunteer chiefs, whose ex
perience is light or extensive accord
| ing to their terms Of service and tho
number Of onfagrations which they
i have been called upon to extinguish
4 The chief, who Is a student OF condi
tons and appreciates modern meth
DDS, may inaugurate a system, which
looking to the future efficiency Of The
4 department and the probable need.
Of the community Is on q sufficientl,
broad scale to provide adequate pro
tection, but the next chief, inexper
1 fenced and without "a general know
Il ledge Of the subject, s1ecfed. because
Of his popularity rather than hil
| capability, falls to carry out the plans
i which his more Intelligent predecessor
Il had set Ia operation The result h
manifest; consistency In action, harm
ony Of purpose, and the steady pro
gress Of the department vanish, AMI
q when the village Enters upon it's LIE,
as a city. fts fire department is EN-
ploying obsolete methods and is 81
ganized along the primitive line
which were In vogue when it was ],
q small hamlet. The great evil lies Ii
the persistency with which voluntee
departments cling to their existence
long after the city has outgroWn ~
4 sWaddlings clothes In every othe
4 branch Of the public service, its fir
4 department IS still an infant with 81,
clothes and old methods.
There are certain causes for TIL
undesirable condition which are az
n nareilt. First IA the lack rf genera