The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-11-02
Engineers of National Board
of Fire Underwriters Re-
port on Conditions Here
SEE NEED OF MORE FIREMEN
Engineers Show that the Equipment
for Fighting Fires Is Good but Many
Recommendations to Better the Serv-
ice are Offered.

The report Of the engineers repre-
senting the national organization OF fire
underwriters who recently made an in
vestigation of the Kenosha fire depart
ment and general conditions in Kenosha
was fled with the mayor, chief OF the
fire department and superintendent OF
tho water works on Wednesday night.
1t is document covering many pages
of typewritten matter and for the most
part it is a good report, but the en-
gineers suggest twenty changes which
should be made in Kenosha to bring
the city's protection against fire up to
the highest efficiency. The report as
covers the waer plant and the fire de-
partment and the recommendations for
changes are as follows:
Report of the Water Works System and
Fire Department of Kenosl1a, Wis.
august, 1911. Population 22,500.
General Summary of Protection
Features.
Water Works.
Management good. Organization
free from political influence which pro-
duces high grade efficiency Supply
and pumping capacity adequate. Sta
tion equipment, pumps, boilers and ma
chinery in good condition. Distribut-
ing system fair to good. Hydrant spac-
ing only fair. Pressures fair to, good
and well maintained. All hydrants are
supplied by six inch or larger street
mains, which is a favorable feat
ure. System contains comparatively
few dead ends. Rate of consump-
ton low, due to a we'll develop
ed meter system. The practice of
allowing miscellaneous connections to
hydrants for sprinkling carts and for
building contractors, etc, is detrimen.
tai and frequently jeopardizes the in
terests of the community. A hydrant
being unusuable at times of fire is
likely to result in a serious fire or con-
fagration.
Fire Department..
Supervision good. Firemen under
civil service regulations, which is favor
able to the efficiency of the department
Men are young and energetic and are
appointed to the service only after
proving qualifications as fireman.
Losses during the past five years have
been comparatively low, averaging
$11,600.00 per annum. The maximum
annual loss is $20,57O.00. A majority
of the large factories are equipped with
sprinkler system. All fire companies
are undermined, the service truck
having only driver Other pieces of
apparatus are undermined to such a
degree that responding to fires at meal
hours, the complement Of men is hardly
sufficient to be of effective service and,
further, on account of the lack of men.
extensive mercantile inspections cannot
be made. Such inspections are of sig
nlhcant Importance, as fremen become
familiar with location of elevator shafts,
stairways, well-holes and the like.
which knowledge has distinct bearing
in facilitating their work, and for the
more humane reason of saving lives.
Such inspections tend to eliminate ac,
cumulated rubbish, debris, packing ma.
terial, etc., which frequently causes
fire, and when burning, even if started
from another source, produces dense
volumes of smoke, offering serious in.
reference to and delaying the work of
the fire department..
Property valuations have increased
about 65 per cent during the past five
years and the number of fire alarms
for the same period has increased 80
per cent, but there have been verv
few extensions made in the fire DEPART
ment during that time, which exten.
sions have become extremely necessary
to protect the rapidly increasing
values and to properly cope with the
numerous fires. The growing increase
in the number of alarms indicates that
should there be serious simultaneous
fires, the department. could not be ex-
pected to effectually meet the situa-
ton. The annual appropriation is con.
sidered to be very low for maintaining
department suitable to the city's
needs.
General Recommendations.
Water Works.
|. Compile valve book, showing de-
tails of valve location with roeoronoo