The Washington herald., 1909-07-18
ANSWERING FIRE CALLS
Washington in Front Rank with Efficient Alarm
System and Equipment.

set OF disks numbered In the case Of
box AS being pulled, the Transmitting
operator quickly moves the disks To the
numbers 4. 2 .. and by setting the trans
nlilter IN operation the big gOngs In AL
the nre engine houses are struck 2 :
indicating the location OF the box nearest
the nre reported and also indicating upon
a schedule Of runs conspicuouslv placed
in each IRE house, and as familiar ~ the
hremen as their A B C's. lust what en-
gines go 10 the fire on first. second and
third alarms from the box 425 puIIed
However, when alarms are sent in 10 the
engine houeses every company responds TO
attention, the men turning out. the horses
hitched 10 the engines, and everything in
READINESS TO move. The companies within
Ihe zone Of the box pulled hurry 10 the
FIRE as fast as their horses can get There
while every othe- company in the citv
holcs Itself IN readiness TO move on the
second alarm. When the first company
reaches the fire. headquarters is com
municated wi.h through a small telephone
arrangements IN the fire alarm box. The
removal Of the Tansmitter is Instantly
recorded IN fire alarm headquarters by a
Dig red light showing on the switch
BOARD Then the operator puts in a plug
connecting his phone, and a conversation
Is held, IN which the fireman taking
from the box reports the nature OF tbe
tre and If additional apparatus Is needed
II so, other engines are called out TTnon
arrival OF the battalion chief in whose
district the fire is located ne communi- /
Gates by-phone with headquarters. and II |
ne needs other engines he sends IN the
second alarm. which brings into service /
another set Of engines, and. If need be. a /
'hiId and fourth alarm that brings out I
additional apparatus. The general alarm
sent oqt IN eases of big fires brings every 1
engine truck. and chemical, hose wagon. /
luei wagon, and other apparatus.
The layman would suppose that A,,or,,
act Of the operators in fire alarm head 1
quarters is done hurriedly or exeltedIv
Nothing Is more erroneously conceived /
The trained operator while he moves
with the precision Of rapidly operated /
machinery, is never excited and his av-
cry act is done with a certainty and
that make it possible 10 avoid .
mistakes. When the number of the bov
reporting a fire Is definitely ascertajned
and not ull then, the alarm is sent ONT
20 the engine houses. From the time The
ilarm Is nrst received from the fire.
alarm box. possibly miles away until n
mas been transmitted 70 the engine com
pahies and the apparatus Is in rapid mo-
Ioh on IT'S way to the fire. less than
aat minute has elapsed. An example
'l the rapidity with which the FIRE
alarm operators work may be seen whom
L Is stated that on May Il. when the bie
umoer yard fire took place IN So,,fb-
east Washington, there were nine alarms
tent IN 10 fire-alarm headquarters in as
many minutes, eight OF which were sent
1ut TO the fire engine companies I'm less
nan eight minutes
In addition 10 Supt J. c. Simpson v-bo
las seen nearly thirty years IN his pres-
nj position, these men look after the
aiety OF the city in three shifts. the first
famed being the hre-alarm operator. and
ne second the fire-alarm telephone oper-
! ..ors, r lrst trick, l.. T. Mothershead and
= watson; second trick. A. H. More
eau eau ana - r. Hobison; third trick. A
anes and Ferguson Fag1le. Onerato,
1orehead has served the fre-aIarro e..
EN- Tor sixteen years. In addition IN
nese here are always engaged from ten
o twelve hnemen and experts loolrfns
Iter the lines and boxes, and three men ,
mo so night and day looking after ,
-ouole on the wires In addition 70 the |
- hre-alarm boxes. there are 225 feIe-
none points from which FIRE alarms are {
,ported TO headquarters. sending out the I
larmS TO the engines. There are twenty [
No engine companies, ten truck houses [
lree chemical engines. and one irebost Z
.ation. I
The old fre-alarm boxes report an alarm
'ur times to headquarters, while the '
eW continuous alarm boxes repeat tba :
arm eight times. The alarm sent ont ,
the engine houses is done twice. and !
recorded on an instrument at each fire =
,gine house, and in addition an indicator ,
)oYe the gong shows the number. Of the !
)X In large figures and the gong rings 7
mere IS no chance to mistake the box F
lmoer, for II IS given by sound. recorded | c
tne machine, and indicated on the +
SIX above the gong 2
Recently there have been installed I,
rye number of ire-alarm boxes with
le key in position ready 10 omen the
*. and only protected from outside in
rference by thin sheet OF glass. Bv h
eaking the glass, the key Is reached D
I'd the bcx opened and the alarm sent T,
The oid style box required the placing r,
the key at some nearby convenient n
ace. and in case OF fire at night deIay, y
10 trouble was experienced In getting q
e Key TO open the box in the absence Of
ponce oiheer. The new style box does b