Evening journal., 1913-03-07
TO SETTLE
STATUS OF
FIRE CHIEF
Friendship Wants Council to
Define Duties Of Head
Of Department
Mr.. KANE HINTS AT
PERMANENT DIRECTOR

AS direct issue OF the refusal OF
the Washington Fire Company to send
Its chemical apparatus to Rehoboth at
a time when FIRE was raging there on
February 20. the Friendship Fire
Company last night submitted a com
munication to the City Council to OBJ
tain a final decision relative TO the
right Of the department chief to order
any company out of the city for fire
service.
Following the reading OF the letter
and some discussion on the subject,
the matter was referred to the law
and fire committees.
The communication from the
Friendship Company SCI forth among
other things that the company under
stood that the fire committee OF Coun-
ell had decided that a company is
justified in refusing to answer call
from outside the city, even though
ordered TO do so by the department
chief. In answer to this. Councilman
W. g. Stover. Of the Seventh ward,
who is member OF the fire commit
tee, said that the writer of the letter
had been misinformed, as the COM
} mittee had never given any decision
on the subject.
Councilman Norman c. Downs, Of
the Eighth ward. said the matter was
TO be taken up by the committee and
settled, but so far this had not been
done.
Councilman James Kane Of the
Fourth ward, declared the only way
to settle existing troubles in the de-
partment was for Council TO elect
a permanent chief
Council Jacob Zimmerman, of the
First ward, thought the matter should
be taken up and conclusion reached
as quickly as possible, as it was an
important question.
Councilman Kane asked Mr. zim-
mermann if he had ever declared in
favor of paid department. and the
latter loudly returned that the volun-
teer system was good enough for Will
mngton now, and for twenty years to
come
The members Of every fire company
in the city are much interested in the
outcome Of the matter and the deci-
sion Of Council is awaited by them
with interest.
The friendships letter follow
Wilmington, Del. March 6. 1913.
ITO the Honorable Mayor and Coun-
Gil of Wilmington:
Gentlemen: The Friendship Fire
Company at a regular meeting de-
cided to ask a decision from your
honorable body on what we consider
a most important subject. a subject
which affects those towns within
reach Of this city which are without
or are provided with fire service
which is inadequate. namely:
rs this company acting in a legal
manner when Obeying orders from
the chief engineer to answer a call
for succor coming from without the
city?
This company, which has a record
for 1877 years in the service for hui
manity and in that time having
never refused a call for help. no
matter from where il might come.
has no desire at this time or in the
future. TO escape any duty which
may be placed upon 1t or to refuse
any order from legally constituted
authority. but
Your fire committee has decided
that a company is justified in refus-
ing 10 answer a call from outside the
city. even though ordered TO do so
by the chief engineer Of the FIRE de-
partment
'The law also says that no COM
pany shall be allowed to take it's APP
paratus outside the limits of the city
unless ordered to do so by the chief
"rhe decision of your fire commit
tee. together with a strict interpre-
tation of the law. raises a question
as to the right Of this company and