The Washington herald., 1917-12-02

Written for The washinEton Herald
By CAPT. EDWARD O'CONNOR.
OF Ladder Truck Company, No. 10.
About fifty years ago the first paid
fire department was organized In the
United States, before which time 1t
was the custom OF the people to vol
unteer their service in case that fire
was threatening the destruction OF
property, a kind of community of in
terest without which the whole city
was in danger Of being destroyed.
As they grew larger, however, 1t be-
came more and more evident that the
volunteer system of protection was
no longer adequate and that It was
for the best interest Of the community
to provide a-welI equipped fire fight
ing force and to organize that force
into separate units to be known as
the fire department Of the city gov
ernment.
The city fathers Of that day evil
IDENTIFY Influenced by their inviron-
ments, and II may be said a. false
spirit of economy, inaugurated a sys-
tenn In that department which was af-
forwards copied by all other city gov
ernments, when 1t became evident to
them that a fire department was
necessary. known as the continuous
duty system, by which Is meant that
the members of the department as
one of the many conditions of their
employment are required to remain
continuously on duty twenty-fouT
hours a day, every day in the week
and every day in the year.
They are permitted to have only
short periods Of time in each twenty
! four for the purpose of getting theii
meals and incidently to keep up a
casual acquaintance with their fami'
lies.
This unreasonable Arrangement 90
works out in its application. that If
for any reason. It was decided &c
change the measurement OF time 81
that there would be added one ol
more hours to the twenty-four houl
day, the firemen would be required Il
work the extra hours.
! System Ii Anticipated.
This antiquated system, wrong from
the first-both from an economic ant
humanitarian point of view-has beei
permitted to remain in operation II
every city where they have a pai'
Fire Department. but with few modi
tications until about six years age
long after there was any excuse 70
1t, only that 1t was customary. an
therefore a kind Of a sacred reli
of the past.
It was finally discovered, however
that by aiding a trivial number o
men to the department that the fore
could be so divided that II would Civ
the members Of the department
twelve-hour day and that II woul
at the same time make II possibl
to organize what is more important
a reserve force that could be quick
ly called into .vice when 1t becam
. evident to the officials that a fir
was likely to get beyond control
somethipg that no fire departmen
should be without
This modern system which has bt
come known as the two platoon sys
tenn of service, was first permanent
ly established in 1911. and since this
time it has been adopted and is b
ing successfully operated in aboI
forty cities in this country and az
cording to testimonials from ol
ficals of those cities, II has added Il
: per cent to the fire fighting capacit
of their department. 1t is elaine
by them that the extra expense tht
1t cost to place 1t In operation is th
. best kind of an investment that an
city government could make.
It could not be otherwise since Il
application has the immediate e
l feet of making the members of II
department satisfied with their pos
ton, a condition so necessary for Il
maintenance Of harmony and discil
line.
It can easily be seen with the houl
: reduced from twenty-four to twel'
that a great many more capable me
S would make applications for position
r in the department giving the city q
I opportunity to be more careful
e its selection and II would immed
, ately cease to be a recruiting static
u for other departments of the go
, ernment for the reason once recei
ing an appointment, self intere
D would make a man take extreme
|. good care Of his position.
Reserve Force Necessary.
n In reference to the reserve fort
e made possible by this modern tv
platoon system. believe am pc