Evening journal., 1920-07-22
PAID FIREMEN
IF CO.'S. QUIT
COUNCIL Plan
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sense under the city charter, Council
has no authority TO create paid de-
partment. But once the emergency"
is created by the volunteers them
selves declining 10 continue service,
Council can borrow money 10 install
"a paid depariment.And the money viii
be forthcoming In sufficient sums for
the purpose.
Meanwhile, II looks very much as
II the situation Is resolving itself into
a game OF frceze-Out. Council. by de
clIning TO increase the appropriations
for the volunteer companies, cOmpell-
inz the companies 20 refuse 10 renew
their contracts with the city on
August 81 for sheer lack OF money
Once the contracts are not renewed an
emergency" Will have been created
technically, and a paid department
will be In order. 10 also seems prob
able, from conversation OF the Council
leaders, that proposals then VIII be
made 10 certain companies 60 con-
tinue service for a short time longer
without contracts and for the good OF
the public while paid companies are
organized and equipped.
AT last nights meeting Mr.. H0Wland
explained In great detail his estimated
cost % approximately Slj0O0O for es-
| ltabllshlng a paid department. SUM
married., his estimate Is as follows:
To construction OF ten lre sta
ilons. new, and exclusive OF hnd
values. S22i 600.
To purchase OF standardized IRE
apparatus for these stations, S2ii.OOO.
To salaries and maintenance per
year, S26i. 900.
As A number OF the present 1re sia-
| lions can be utilized and much OF the
I present apparatus as we'll these es-
| Inmates could be much reduced Mr..
/ Rowland added. lie declared he knew
| from personal inquiry among the
/ nremen that other companies were
going out OF service like the Friend
| shin. unless more money Is given
them, and he declared the present
department already is in state OF
/ dlsintegratlon"
| Not Firemcn, But System
Mr.. Rowland explained he had been
sent 10 Wilmington for the particular
purpose OF ascertalnlng the measure
| OF fire protection now and for the
future. The National Board OF Fire
! Underwriters. he added, has been
recommending fun paid fire de-
parlment for Wilmington FOR some
years
I'VE are confronted with an acute
/ situation, with the city In const1nt
/ Jeopardy OF fires getting beyond the
| control A volunteer fire department
at best falls far short Of satisfactory
protection for a city Of the size and
| character Of Wilmington permitted
volunteer department TO undergo DIS
/ Interrogation, and 10 Is not surprising
that fire underwriters become appre-
hensiye OF dangers to come
Mr.. Rowland questioned n 10 were
/ not probable that bankers even
\ might call In mortgages.
While the volunteer nremen were
Justly deserving OF praise and apprc-
citation, yet ne said, 70 was apparent
that the fremen themselves fully rec
ognlzed that a volunteer system was
unable 10 perform the duties OF Q
modern fire department The main
tanning OF permanent officers. regular
and systematic inspection OF build.
lngs. alleys. Easements. complete
courses OF instruction and training
and enforcement OF discipllne-al
these factors were essential 10 enec'
lively combating large fires.
$50" he continued. "it Is not thl
volunteer fremen that we are Op
posed TO- but the volunteer system.
Mr.. Rowland next declared tha
the volunteer department was tn
only protection now available ant
asked II it were not better 10 main
tain what the city already had thar
TO have none at all.
I'VE are facing an emergency %
which bad conditions are In danger
OF becoming worse" he said 1T L
vitally necessary that Council MAX,
such provision that 100 per cent
efficiency can be maintained amonl
. the volunteer companies" III
, urged, for example. that Council
should not permit the motorized an
paratus In the Friendshon house q
leave Wilmington and not fail 90 use
TO replace the more expensive horse
drawn apparatus In the phOeni
house lie also recommended that,
possible. Council Immediately go oil
record In favor Of establishing a fu
, paid fire department at the earlies
dale
"There Is nothing Of greater I'm