The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-01-07
AUT0PUMP|NG ENGINE NEEDED
Chief in Annual Report Shows That
Fire Loss in the City During the Past
Year Was a Little Over $3.50, 1000
New Territory Brings Problems.

Chief of the Fire Department Henry
lsermann IN his annual report filed
with the city clerk and the common
council on Monday, asks that six more
men be added to the department in
order to make possible the proper
carrying out of the work of protecting
the city against fire. He holds that
the six men are needed at this time in
order to make it possible to have three
men at each of the fire stations dur
ing the meal hours and during the time
that members of the department may
be kept from their duties on account of
illness. An even larger number of men
will be needed for the department be-
fore the end of the year as it is the
plan of the council to complete the
erection of the proposed fire station
on West Grand avenue.
The chief also recommends that the
council take immediate steps to pur-
chase an automobile fire pump to be
installed at the Grand avenue station
when it is built. He holds that such
a pump will be absolutely necessary to
give protection to the territory re-
Gently annexed to the city, holding
that the pressure in the water mains at
present is unable to furnish this pro-
lection. For years the purchase of this
apparatus has been urged for the fire
department and the need of it was
emphasized in the recent fire at the
malt house. At that time the Racine
department brought La France engine
to Kenosha and proved to the local fire.
men the value of such an engine.
The chief recommends the purchase
OF a new equipment of fire hose for all
stations in the department as the old
hose is so badly worn as to make it
dangerous to continue it in use. He
suggests the immediate addition to the
fire alarm system of six alarm boxes to
be situated at various points within the
"old' limits of the city. Later on
there will be a demand for many new
boxes in the recently annexed territory
The statistical report of the chief is
decidedly interesting. 1t shows that
during the year 1914 Kenosha had one
hundred and eight fires. The total loss
from these fires was $161, 743.48. This
is an unusually large fire loss, but the
report shows that the bulk Of this loss
was at the fire at the malt house. The
loss in this fire was placed at
$160,903.27, and the loss was entirely
covered by insurance. The insurance
covering losses in the city during the
year amounted to more than seven
times the amount of the fire loss and
the net loss from fire, on buildings
where no insurance was covered, would
not exceed 5000.
The report Of the chief shows that
the cost of the maintenance of the de-
partment for the year was $25, 774.83,
of which $15,72z37 was paid out in
salaries and more than $4,000 was ex-
pended for the purchase of new equip
ment.
The value of the property of the fire
department is shown to be more than
$4,000. The real estate and buildings
are valued at SAT, 900 and the equip
ment at $4,000.
The recommendations of the chief
have been left in the hands Of the com
mittee on fire department of the com
mon council and some action on them
may be taken by the council later.