The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-03
BEST ON-STANDARD FRI
ALARM SYSTEM.
by l.. {. Wharton. Chief Union Fire
Department.

Union, 5. c., June "a, 1912.
Mr. Chairman and Fellow Firemen:
We are here assembled 10 discuss
the many issues in this our eighth an
nual Firemen"s Tournament and AS
sociation, and it has been placed upon
me to address you on the Best Non
Standard Fire Alarm System"
Now, Mr.. Chairman, you will find
just about as many methods Of Civ
ing the alarm Of fire as you will find
localities and small towns and VIII
lages. From the old way of the night
Waterman and day police of shooting
or fire arms and in this way giving
the alarm. to the bell being tolled and
the fire whistle being sounded.
So it would be hard for any one to
say exactly what would be the best
ard most effective method as you
will find just as many different opin-
ions as you will find methods of Civ
ing the alarm.
But what is meant by the best
alarm system is the one that will
prove the most effective and will give
the alarm in the shortest time and
get the firemen on the spot with the
very least delay, also when the
alarm is given to locate the ward
and as near as possible where the
fire is that when the fireman starts
ont he may have some idea where
and in what direction to go.
Now this is simple enough TO all
places where they have a standard
alarm, but it is where this standard
alarm system is not in use that am
to deal with.
Now. according to my way Of
thinking. We have a pretty good sys-
tenn in our town, Union, and / will
tell you Of this. and then say in what
manner think it could be improved
upon.
The alarm is sent in from near the
place where the fire starts or by
whoever first discovers the fire and
they call up the fire house and tell
the driver just where the fire is and
enables him to know exactly his
destination before leaving the fire
house and then we have a private
connection with the water works by
which the driver pulls a lever and
that rings a gong at the water works
and as we only have four wards it
shows to the man on duty at the
water plant in what ward, and then
he in turn sounds the fire alarm by
means Of the whistle and he blows
the whistle to indicate exactly what
ward and that gives the general
alarm and in that way gives the pub
lie as we'll as the fireman that is not
81 viz iAC HOuSC III WIidt " dIu lHS lire
Is in.
Now the only trouble with this is
owing to some misinformation given
by a telephone central down in Geor-
gia. The telephone company was
sued and found liable for this wrong
information. and they will not give
any information at all concerning the
location of fire and some private
individual has to call up the fire de-
partment and tell them, when this
could be avoided if the telephone
central could be allowed to give this
information.
So / think where there is located
a telephone exchange it should be
obligatory on them to ring in the fire
alarm and should be laid down as
one Of the conditions that they get
their charter upon. Say. let the ndi-
vidual, whoever he may be, call up
the telephone central AMI tell them
to ring in the alarm, for Mr.. Sc nd
SOS house is afire, and then they call
up the fire department and the water
works and tell them the information
they have concerning the fire and also
they should call up the chief and
the other tiremen and tell them
where the fire is. Now / do not mean
by this that the telephone should
answer all questions asked at these
times, hut if properly handled there
is no reason that within five minutes
after fire is discovered the alarm
could not be given and the fremen
on their way to the scene of action.
1t is IA great pity that when the
alarm of fire is given it could not be