New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-04
Fire Commissioners Consider Plan
to Rehabilitate Some Veterans
DOING PREVENTION WORK
Municipality One of First in Country
to Recognize Possibilities of Giving
Work to Fighters Who Are Parti-
ally Incapacitated.

In the consideration Of its estimates
for the ensuing fiscal year, the board
Of fire commissioners last evening
discussed the adVisability Of making
| openings in the fire service for the
employment of crippled soldiers re
! turning from the service. In the
| opinion of the fire commissioners it
| is possible to employ soldiers who
have lost an arm or q leg in carrying
| on fire prevention work, which was
! instituted at the opening of the cur
, rent year and through which excel
! lent results have already been OBJ
! tanned.
Would Serve AS inspectors.
| The soldiers would be employed on
| the inspection tours. Accompanied
| by one of the regular firemen they
| would inspect the properties and
, make the recommendations. Under
| the present arrangement the inspec-
! tions are made by two permanent mon
! from the same company Usually
| there are two companies making in
! spection at the same time. BY the en-
| ployment of the soldiers the strength
! of the department would not be re-
| duced as much and still the firemen
| would be becoming familiar with the
| ture in the work. The details will be
| further considered and action will
! probably be recommended in the
| make up of the next years budget.
! The fire commission is the first de-
! partment in the city to consider en-
ployment of crippled soldiers.
New Firc Station Discussed.
| The establishment of another fire
| n
( last evening. The city has the ap-
| paratus and in the opinion of the fire
| commissioners the eSta blishment of
| another company Will result in bet
| ter fire protection. Chief Dame has
! suggested that the company could be
| housed at No. fire station until the
| new aerial truck arrives, at which
| time the city service ladder truck
| will be transferred to No. station,
at which time the new company could
| be transferred to the central station
| to remain until another fire station
| is erected. The mem bers for this
| company can be obtained by transfer
from some of the existing companies.
| The company will be assigned to GER
| tain boxes. With another company
/ in commission there will be less liza
| bility of the city not having the CEN
| ter of the city we'll protected at all
| times.
Request Salary Increases.
| Lieutenant Thomas f. Higgins ana
| Fireman John Connolly, representing
| the permanent members OF the de-
| partment, appeared before the COM
missioners in support of the petition
I for an increase of IS cents day IN
| their wages The increased cost or
| living and uniforms were adVanced as
reasons. They showed that in Con-
! necticut cities the scale ie higher.
Meriden pays it's high grade tiremen
! $500 yearly: Bridgeport with q TWO
| platoon system, pays its highest
grade men $1.75O, and the hremen IN
| Waterbury are asking for maxi
mum wage of $1,7OO for men IN the
ranks. The commissioners voted TO
| recon mend that the pay of the hre-
men be increased so cents day Inc
| firemen now receive $1,3S3 yearly.
| Assistant Electrical superintendent
Harold r. Day. who asked for an in
| crease of 20 per cent. in his salary,
which is $1,000, was voted a recon-
mendation for an increase Of so cents
| a day.
| The commissioners Informally con-
sidered estimates for the ensuing fiS-
| cal year.
!