The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-11-29
Should Adopt a
Tangible Alarm

The fire at DR.. Smiths home last
Saturday again demonstrated the very
urgent need for a fire alarm that
would indicate. as nearly as possible,
the location of the fire. With the
fire-fghters entirely composed of vol
unteers, as is the case in this city,
firemen are expected to reach the fire
in the shortest possible space of time.
For that reason, leaving entirely out
of consideration the general public
which has a weakness for attending
fires, as well as often being able to
render much assistance to the fire.
men, before, and often after the lat
ter's arrival, principally, perhaps, in
helping to remove contents from the
burning building-the need for hav-
ing a whistle that will, as nearly as
possible, locate the fire, is of urgent
Importance.
The time that elapsed between the
alarm and the arrival of the hose
truck at Saturdays fire appeared to
have been unnecessarily prolonged,
though after the arrival of the fire.
fighting paraphernalia the usual good
and speedy work was accomplished and
the flames were speedily subdued, ev-
en- though they had obtained alarming
headway unimolested. Just who was
responsible for the unusual hardness
in the arrival of the hose cart is not
known. 1t being just at the noon hour,
when many were at dinner or on their
way home, perhaps accounts for the
delay, to a large extent at least, in
the arrival of the fire workers.
But that fire made it plainly appar-
ent that there is urgent need for a
fire alarm which will denote the loca-
tion of the fire, as nearly as possible
at least the ward. The Times editor
had always supposed that the elabor-
ate and protracted fire-alarm whistle
conveyed to the ear of the initiated
the exact location of the fire. But we
have been informed since last Satur-
days fire that no such information is
so conveyed, and that all anyone can
get out of that prolonged and heart
breaking screach is that there is a
fire somewhere in Pennington. 1t
does not so much as indicate the ward,
which is generally supposed to be in
dicated by the first alarm.
The plan of procedure in handling
fire alarm, as The Times has beer
able TO get the information, is that
when the alarm is telephoned into
central, together with the location Of
the fire, central Immediately notifies
the power house, where the alarm i:
sounded. Central is also supposed tt
Immediately call up the Mayberry
Byington & Tullock stables, where the
hose cart is kept, notifying of the To-
cation of the fire, in order that thu
driver of the hose-cart could find th'
fire. Formerly there was also a fir
alarm at fire headquarters, which cen
trail was supposed to ring by press
ing button in the telephone office
but for some reason that alarm wa
removed some time ago.
1t is the feeling Of many citizen
, that the city council should at ono
take action for the improvement o
fire alarms. so that all who desire
could tell from such signals at leas
. what ward the fire is in. 1t is mos
j, important that all possible spec
should be used in getting workers t
: a fire, and the method Of alarm coul
be so simply and plainly arrange
J that it would give some information
=, as to the location of the fire. Is thi
: matter not of sufficient importance t
recommend itself to the favorable at
tention of the city fathers?
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