The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-07
EFFICIENCY IS
WATCH WORDOF
fire FIGHTERS
CHIEF RIERA TELLS HOW PEN
SAcOLA HAS BEEN PROTECTED
FROM DISASTROUS BLAZES IN
LAST YEAR.

to the standard set by the larger
cities of the country. according to
Chief Riera. Modern equipment, up
to-date methods and an efficient force
help to maintain this standard. Mr..
Riera said Saturday.
Pensacola can justly boast OF one
of the most efficient fire departments
in this section of the country. Out
of three hundred and sixty alarms OF
fire during the last year, there have
been only three losses of much inn
portance. One of these fires occurred /
on East Gregory street, another on
East Cervantes street. and the third
was at the Bruce Dry Docks. In
every instance the fires had gotten /
well underway before the department |
was called, and, due to excessive high |
winds it was impossible to extinguish |
them. The personnel of the depart |
ment is of very high order, and eff |
! cheney is our watchword. / feel that
every cooperation should be given ns |
and adequate measure taken to en-
force existing fire ordinances. This,
| together with additional legislation for
| thorough fire inspection would make
| fires in this city practically a negli-
! gible quantity"
/ The equipment of the department
\ at present" continued the chief, sis
| sufficient to take care of a city of this
| size. We have one American La
| France Triple which consists of one
! pumping engine with a seven hundred
and fifty gallon per minute capacity.
| one chemical tank with two hundred
! and fifty feet of chemical hose, one
thousand feet of two and one-half
1 TO- Il
| piece of apparatus was recently pur-
| chased at cost of $11, 900. Then there
is one combination chemical and hose
| truck, equipped with two thirty-five
| gallon chemical tanks, two hundred
and fifty feet ofchemical hose, one
| thousand feet of two and one half
inch fire-hose, and hand extingiush-
ers and ladders. In addition there is
one service truck carrying ladders
ranging in length from ten to fifty
feet. These three pieces of apparatus
make up our motor driven equipment
and are all stationed at Headquarters.
| AT each of the other stations, which
| there are two at present, there is one
horse drawn hose truck. These sta
! tions are located at Ninth and Strong
| streets and DeVillier and Jackson"
Il When asked concerning the fire
alarm system of the city the chief re-
piled: THE city is dotted with the
j GameweH Fire Alarm System, but out
of three hundred and sixty fires re-
4 ported in the last year only three
alarms came in over this system. Most
of the fires were reported by teIe-
phone. In all cases where the warn
ing is transmitted by telephone the
alarm reaches the headquarters sta
ton first, from here the operator on
duty calls the proper fire-house over
our private telephone lines, which
are maintained by the city and are
used for no other purpose. These
lines are tested out daily by the city
electrician, once in the morning and
again in the evening. They are con-
structed so as TO suffer no danger
during heavy storms. being built high
err than ordinary telephone lines and
out of the danger of falling trees. We
also have private line to the ship
yard, not only for the use of the yards
themselves but also for the protection
of other parts of the city, for the
watchmen there are able to spot re-
Elections for many miles Then there
is also a night Waterman on duty at
each fire station whose duty IL is 10
keep a sharp lookout for fire-refIec.
tions. The topography of the city
makes this possible"
III The chief stated that there were
twenty eight men in the department
at present divided between the various
station as follows: seventeen at head
quarters, and five each at the othe,
two stations. The men," said the
chief, ARE required to stay at tn.
/ fire house, and are on duty twenty.
four hours Of the day with every fifti
day off. However, he continued "thf,
condition will be remedied October til,
first when the two-platoon system
goes into effect here. This svsten
will make il necessary to increase tn
present force at least eleven men,.
The two platoon system beca-.a
law during the last session Of IN
legislature. and applies only TO citie
having a population of over thirty
five thousand. According TO chic
Riera, it's adoption here will be a bene
fit to the firemen, giving them NOR
time or duty and making for create
efficiency.
When questioned concerning fir
ordinances and their enforcement
Pensacola, the chief said, a NOR
adequate system of fire inspection
imperative There are a good man
buildings here that are veritable fin
traps and should be either torn dow
or put into safe condition, but undt
existing laws the fire officials a,
/ III powerless to act. The ordinance r,
1 curing the removal of rubbish fro
II premises is not observed as il shou
be, particularly is this true in III
| business section. This condition shou
not exist and property owners shou
be forced to observe the ordinance
Ill Chief Riera stated that the insu