Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-24
PhotoEraphs Illustrating this stOry appear
an the pictorial page.

Photoersphs Illustrating this story appear
\ an the pictorial page
Idleness In the Bureau of Fire exists only
IN popular Imagination. No buster set of
men shares in the municipal payroll than
the OIL members of the engine and truck
companies, composing the rank and file OF
the city's fire-hghting brigade. On duty
tWeuty-one hours OF each twenty-four, the
answering of alarms Is but one OF the many
suens In the freman's daily routine. No
man in the department but would gladly
have realized the popular conception that
the llfe-risking gallop to a striking box and
duty on the fire grounds were the only de-
mands made upon him In return for the
a75 to 500 month for which he places his
life in jeopardy and forfeits homo comfort
and family associations that his neghbor
may be secu!1 In property and person.
But that the prevailing impression may
Be corrected and that the Philadelphia pub
lie may be made aware why their support
is asked In the movement to secure n fair
living wage and more equable hours for the
nrernen the subJolned days routine of a
hoseman is given:
A DAYS ROUTINE
1t was obtained from one of the mon and
Is based upon personal experience. 1t fol-
lows:
"A fireman's day ordinarily has no begin
ming. or end. for II Is continuous. So let us
start our routine from the day OF, which
nominally begins at o'clock in the morn
ing.
"After being of duty for twenty-four
hours, or from 8 O'Clock one morning until
o'clock the following day he reports back
b his station for FIRE duty. In many cases
Il happens that before he goes of for the
holiday he has done might watch This
means four consecutive hours duty as
lookout man In charge of the first floor
willie the other members of his company are
Bleeplng. The first or night watch begins
At s o'clock and lasts until midnight. A IL
TO 4 watch follows and then comes last
watch, covering the period from o'clock
until 8,
IN AND OUT AGAIN
1T often happens that before fireman
has time to change his clothing after his
day on an alarm of fire will come in, to
which, his company responds. There Is no
time to change his uniform. Caught in his
best clothes he jumps aboard the COM
bination wagon or ladder truck and away
be goes.
III 1t is Service fire, the chemical
stream, water or dirt in which! he works
may ruin his clothing.
.'If he is not called out but remains on
station duty, there is housework to be done.
He must do his share of sweeping. niopping.
ecrubbng stairs, polshng1 brass work or
eleaning apparatus. There is no special
day for cleaning. Stations and equipment
Are required to be kept spick and span at
all times. for the firehouses are all open for
public and departmental inspection, and we
never know at what moment visitors, either
ohicial or civilian. may drop in to look us
over Brass. windows and apparatus must
De polished and clean at all Eours.
"A man who has a watch to keep goes
70 bed after his four hours sentinel duty.
He thinks he is to get an hours sleep. He
y hardly in bed when the joker taps. and
his successor or watch yells, Wide awake =
lie leaps, from bed, springs to the sliding
pole and drops to the first floor. He makes
ready to go out TO the fire but after being
thus prepared he learns that the alarm
came from a box located perhaps five miles
er more from his station and entirely out
81 his company's district
Back to bed he goes, again hoping to |
obtain some rest before daybreak. He is
never sure tnat another alarm Is not |
eomins In, call that maybe summons him |
70 duty from which he will never return. |
'on some nights there may be ten or a |
pozen alarms Each one involves the |
awakening and preparation for response OF |
sVery man in every engine and truck house |
Y the city. 1t doesn't matter where the |
are Is or what box is pulled. Every call |
strikes In every house.
NO SIGHTING OF DUTY
III mans company is called out. It |
aoesnt matter whether or not he has just |
come on a four-hour watch or what other |
euty he has performed previously that day |
night He goes out with his comrades |
Just the same.
AT this time OF year, II the blaze in
soVes water line serviceA the man holding |
sne line or nozzle may be covered with ice /
81 wringing wet.
III makes no difference 1t is duty and |
as must stand up to it uninchIngly, And
as does. He eats smoke and takes his /
eah IKE the man he is until the fire Is
Then half-frozen with his clothes /
soAkins. tired and hungry. he loads the
-ese into the wagon and goes back TO
quarters. 1t may be daylight by this time,
fupted sleep
NO one Is allowed in the bunkroOms in
He morning.
He is not allowed to change his dripping.
smiling clothes until the wet hose has been
tsnOvsd from the wagon and replaced by
's tower. Drivers and engineers look
49, thelr horses or engines. the nrst duty
ns 70 get into condition for service
fs4in as quickly as possible.
AFTER animals and apparatus are cared
.s then the fireman may look after him
He may bathe ana change his clothes
~sl As he Is, he may have q middle
NJ ~ 70 keep. which Is from ~ to O'Clock
@3 ~ mealtime interyened during his nre
~ or watch he loses Il. Every man In
~saspany ssty does three watches week.
nus goes on for live days and nights
s which time the fireman may re-
,e MS clothing only 10 battle or 70 change
4I "orking 70 best uniform, as he is
t.neq % sleep Ia uniform blouse ana
ny nights T happens that before he
A foH hls day he hes been Up al
W HEaaae some ble Gre e. has been
H-H 4=E or HrVrn tIHe1 an1U1ftEIH