Evening journal., 1920-08-03
PAID FIREMEN,
EXPERT URGES
This Recommendation Made
BY ]. H. Rowland to
Fire Underwriters
COUNCIL WILL
CONSIDER REPORT

J. IT. Rowland. the fire prevention
expert, who recently made a survey
OF the local fire department for the
National Board OF Fire Underwriters,
has submitted his report 10 the In
derwriters, in which he advocates a
paid fire department for this city. Mr..
Rowland also makes number or
other recommendations in his report.
The recommendations follow:
4. Establishment Of paid fire
department at earliest possible date.
9 That the city must maintain all
present apparatus with The exception
Of the horse-drawn steamer and reel
OF the Phoenix Company,
g. That the steamer and auto COM
bnation Of the Friendship Company
must be retained in service either al
the Friendship house or at some cen
tral location like the Proenix station.
4. That an ordinance must ne
passed providing for fire Inspection
by nre department to be enforced Dy
Council and citizens committee,
Members OF City Council last hlEnt
refused 10 discuss the report saying
it would be considered at me meT,t-
ing of Council tomorrow night. llo
was said hnwever., that Council
would do nothing in the way or es, ,,
tablishing a paid department. nhtll
the state legislature conVenes.
The report which Is daied New
York. July %, 1920, Is headed Wi
mington. Del and proceeds as lol-
ITO members OF the National Board
Of Fire Underwriters:
at the direction Of our executive
committee, this city was visited Dy
Engineer J. II. Rowland, July ~ 10 q,
1920, for the purpose OF reporting
upon the local fire department sltua.
ton and OF emphasizing the urgent
need Of establishing a full paid IRE
department, as has been repeatedly
recommended.
Meetings with the executive com
mitlee Of the Fire Department the
City Council and the executive com
mittee on conservation and fire pre-
vention Of the city civic organ
izations were attended. and per
sonal Interviews held with Offices
and members OF the fire department
city officials, local press and others
There is every indication that re-
cent developments are seriously I'M
pairing the protection afforded by the
present volunteer fire department, and
that the situation from a coniagra-
tion standpoint Is becoming more and
more acute. The only safe remedy
in relieving the probability OF fires
getting bevond control and involving
a heavy toll in human lives and prop
erty values lies in the immediate es-
tablishment Of a full paid fire depart
ment.
"The total assessed property valua-
tion is in excess OF Sii0 000OOO.- The
1920 United States census gives a pop
ulation Of iiOt6S, and many new anC
extensive industrial plants have re-
Gently been established, with severa
new and lofty ONCE buildings unde'
construction, all indicating that th'
city is experiencing a very rapl'
growth.
IN the budget for the fiscal yea
ending June 30.i92t, the City Coun
Gil has made an appropriation To-
fre department maintenance OF 0i03,
$40, which provides for each OF tn
volunteer companies an increase o
$500 over that Of last year. The sew
eral companies have asked for al
Increase OF 81. 800 each and the Phoe
nix Fire Company for further appro
priatiou Of $4,000.
''The accepted resignation OF th
Friendship Company, No 1 one o
the best located and best equippe
companies in the department, become
effective August 81 next; this compan
is now negotiating for the sale o
its apparatus. The Phoenix Compan
has notified the City Council that the
will discontinue the service Of thei
ladder truck on August 81 unless tn
additional money requested for main
tenance is appropriated on or befor
said date. Statements made by mem
bers Of other companies were to tn
effect that other pieces OF apparatu
including the larger pumping engin
in service at the Reliance Static
would be taken out Of service unles
the council provided the monies ask
ed for.
while there still exists through
out the department much Of the loyl
volunteer spirit, more particularly o
the part OF the older members, II
apparent that among the rank and III
there is more general dissatisfaction
and indifference, with the result thi
less young material is being taken inl
the force.
1T was stated that the City CouI
Gil had appropriated in the preser
budget every dollar OF revenue, an
the consensus OF opinion seems
be that the disintegration OF the vo
unteer fire department already und'