Republican farmer., 1920-08-06
Underwriters Praise Local Department AS Efficient

pointed in the same manner as other members of the fire department.
 Headquarters.
 On the third floor of fire depart ment headquarters, a three-story building erected in 1906 and recon structed into a freproof building in 1916. It is exposed by adjoining brick and metal-clad buildings and by a garage and warehouse across a 5O-foot street. The exposed win dows of the operating room have wired glass in metal frames and the windows of the battery room have non-standard metal-clad shutters. The doors to the operating room are Of metal, but are of little Value as fire stops; there are several open stairways and light wells in the building. Chemical extinguishers and sand buckets are provided in the op- erating room and the battery room. Conclusions.
 The system is of proper type, with ample provision for growth and with generally well arranged and installed central office equipment. The city is to be commended for installing a sys- tenn which includes devices looking , toward adequacy and reliability, in cluding duplicate circuits to fire sta tions and the replacement of many unsa tisfactory features. The head 1 quarters building is fire-resistive but contains the usual hazards of a fire station with automobile apparatus and the operating room is not prop l erly cut off. The duplicate transmit 1 ters and duplicate alarm circuits are | not properly connected and full use l is not made of the duplicate equip ment. Batteries are of good type and | generally we'll cared for, but are in | only fairly good condition, due prob | ably to impure acid.
 l Boxes are in good condition; two. | thirds are of satisfactory type anG 1 the others have been rebuilt or i'm proved; box distribution in importan
 districts is good, and is mainly gooo | elsewhere; a few groups of houses recently constructed are without fire alarm service. Boxes are fairly con: spicuous by day; red lights have
 been provided in some inportan l districts to indicate locatoins a 1 night The circuits have bee1
 rebuilt and two-thirds Of the total i
 underground, but much of the ove head wiring is on poles with higl | tension circuits. The department tele phone system is adequate and wei
 installed, but the telephone compan. l does not cooperate fully in handlin;
 
 properly followed by notice over tn
 fire alarm telegraph system. Record i kept are good, but are incomplete | As a whole, the fire alarm system
 has been materially improved sine
 the previous report
 The Building Department, an i'm
 portant branch of the fire depart
 ment, handles and supervises con
 struction work and the use of al
 iv1 fI1ro 1,1
 Organization.-Gene The city charter creates a Boar
 of Building Commissioners, consist , ing of three members, are appointe each year by the Mayor for a three year term. The board has charge o
 building construction, plumbing an examination of plumbers. It mus convene at least weekly, examine a plans and specifications, grant per ! mIts and pass upon reports of build ing inspector, etc. A building inspee tor is appointed by this board for l three-year term; no qualifications ar prescribed. An assistant building in spector is appointed by the Boar of Aldermen for a, like term an must be a competent mason.
 Personnel.
 1 The present board consists of Win l ,, and Wm. McLennan, all of whor , are building contractors Daniel \ , Rowland. Inspector, formerly a ca, penter and builder, was appointe , in 1897; he is not experienced modern methods of construction There are also an assistant buildin
 inspector, a plumbing inspector an two clerks. Two automobiles are pro , vlded for inspection purpose.
 Conclusions.
 The building laws have been muc improved since the previous repor ) but are still deficient and indefinite 3 many of the more important feature ] bearing on fire prevention, leavin l much to the discretion of the al thorities in control. The fireprot limits are of mainly satisfa ctory e, s tentA but the main or outer fire lini = fail to include important mercanti s and manufacturing sections, and tt : requirement in both are still waive : by the council. Construction from 5 fire prevention standpoint is vel 6 weak, and little improvement can d expected until the building code s further strengthened and impartial b i enforced by competent inspector = Conclusions.
 l. The storage, handling and sale r l explosives and inf1ammable sul l. l stances are only partly covered f the ordinances, and the council h. a reserved powers to grant exception Nwhich powers are freely exercised ,. the enlargement of neighborir
 property. The fire department al e fire prevention bureau make freque n inspections, but, owing to lack l. public interest and proper unde Z standing of many common hazard is conditions are far from satisfa ctor e In the congested valued district nur ct erous hazards conditions incident e rubbish, bon-fires and explosive al s. inflammable substances were noted e Conclusions.
 .. The city, up to the present tin > has exercised no control over insi l. wiring, and the inspections by u a ! underwriters are ineffective and n slight extent Much of the old al n new inside wiring is in dangero > condition, and the need of compete l. supervision with frequent reinspe t tions is very apparent. The <appoir