The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-31
WALDO ON FIRE PREVENTION
70 az m HtbE 4 SEPtRtTE
M re- a. TD HANDLk GT.
Tho Commissioner q wnnrss Before the
graft On, r>i ixatsrs - Oserin.us asre
Grave t>u -Has No Year sf Cen.
nssraiion with High Pressure system.


Grave E>u HAS No Year sS Con.
nssraiisn win H,xh Pressure system.
Fire Commissioner Rhlnelander Waldo
was a witness before the legislative com
mittee yesterday. Here are some Of the
things he said in response to quest ions
on the suhieCt Of fire waste, fire depart
m"nt adminst rat ion and other topics
the committee il delving into;
The question of the Fire Depar tn,snt
div ldc~ itself into two branches, the ey
'inru,shing OF i fir~ and the prevention OF
Il Dire In my opinion tho prevention OF
tire - the subject IN " hich greatest de-
velopm-nt for the future lies The ek
''n-ui,hment OF tire - now being handled
extremely efficiently Nv the New York
Fir. Department u IAN he made more
efficient by III. introduction OF the high
pressure system or the extension OF II
THIS system - now being extended section
by section until within the next year Il will
IN, a. far north on the West side a.
Tv enty third street and the Eas, Side A.
Fourteenth Thor. IL no question but what
the fire rNtInRul-hment and the losses by
fire Can he limited by tho extension OF this
system The lire prevention ~. however.
A. | said before. n subject which ! believe
IL nlo>i susceptible to improV ement To-
day We have many devices Of nre proven
ton We have the automatic sprinkler
system We have the perforated pipe sys-
tens have the standplpe- and the
Introduction Of fire -Itinguishers. and auto
matte nra alarm teiegrsphs giving notice
Of fire Al its start
think the Fire Department should have
some legislation which would make this
bureau 'frs preventing separate one
from the bureau Of IRE extinction. and II
~rould have authority 20 compel the In
Production Of these devices in premises
whore the business carried on IL Of hazard
Gus character, such a. IN workshops and
-torahou--- and department stores.
think Il tho Legislature would pass some
act which would give the department
authority To do that II would greatly limit
the loes
Also another subject which I think you
ought Ia take UP - the one preventing tho
fire insurance companies from oyerinsuring
\ man can to-day get out an Insurance
without having his property adequately
tnventoried and thereby give him an in
ceniive to incendarism | think ~ Ough;
20 he made penal offence Ia insure any
property unless a careful inventory has
been aiken nv the insurance company
There Is no question hut hat large per
csntags Of all fires here il Of an inCendiary
natur. end are incurred ny the lsaity Of the
ms llraTts companies IN
The fire marshal in the city of New York
in my opinion should really b. IN the Dis
trict attorney of'ice. Its function has
nothing To do with the administration
of IN. Fire department. IN - really the
Investigation OF fires for the purpose Of
determining II any criminality IL attached.
Therefore Il u "A legal function rather than
"A Ere lighting function
am having tn. whole bureau Of the
Al. .Iz..l 49,.
competent people. and | expect ~ have
better results in the near future The
main thing in a bureau of ta.; character
j. 80 concentrate your EFFORT. where 'ou
find some probability Of criminality betag
attached or being involved. and not tc
waste your tIsis in investigating IRE
where II - apparent on the tao" Of Il that no
CrimInality possibly could have occurred.
Nl," a fir. should h. investigated a. soon
after 1t occurs a. possible All that | am
having taken Tp nov with view Of re-
organizing the bureau. The bureau has
not bees running to my satisfaction heretO-
fore
. IL II not OF equal importance that he
i'he fre marshal should ascertain the
causes 81 the fire. and II such causes h.
prevalent can theV he obviated? That
- also one of his functions But the ap-
parent cause OF IN. Ere IA very readily
obtained
q Vow tho testimony OF the IRE marshal
and also al the Are chief. Commissioner.
was that most fires start in Easements
through mad housekeeping. where rubbish
amt the Ike have accumulated and that
j. IN violation OF the city ordinance' \
There - no question NJ THAT
- In what way can that ordinance he
mad. effective By giving To the Fire
Department the authority to enforce the
y b..
,leanu. 81 collars and the maintaining
OF them Il proper CONDITION
. Md Il tho owner refuses after notice
FROM III" uniformed force" then What \.
Ih"r h. should he -uhJe.. 10 I'm" or Ir'-
g. I-0uin.rt
q And that the nm formed force should
have authority to hiring the Ninlation tn
the attention Of the Magistrate Their"
- no question hut ~ hE, that would =. very
G.~irHti"
. Sow. hsl~vr Ihrv have - make a
r"r"ri. or tho fire marshal docs ~ m.
corporation Coun sol. and ~ i only prose
,r.tI"r for = pensitv i not that - That
- tl' and they are very much delayed
y Would - not he much NOR" simple
n You had POWER IN 20 IN and lean w IN.
"ilar and rhnrg- tho cost of thai ~ lion
against the property 4 think n ne had
N. pnw.r 10 bring tho rr"r"ant ~ Justice
" vould 10 equally desirable
. There ha- hasn testimony here com
missioner that There are conaaGration Dis
trIDr- m tho lower part ~ Manhattan island
winch under "vtraoTiiuary conditions
would be- -u-rop'ihle Of h"InR entirely wiped
out rs ono r~r what - YOUR observation
how ha- your observation cd vou 10 he
iev" that problem. 4 The only answer
10 that - that A. | remember II We haN"
not had = m" since ls1s IN New York that
COULD he ~ llni a ION ~ grafton
y 10 Won irirk N" introduction NJ the
high pressure mains have eliminated any
such ro--thlrics' N. Introduction Of
~" high pr"~sur. mains A. ~aid before.
VIII materially reduce IN" IRE loss and
tend NOR" and NOR. IN keep the FIRE in The
bttldiug N which II -tarr-