Republican farmer., 1920-08-06

repair shop. Money is available for
 the purchase Of a pumping engcne ID
 replace one steamer, 7,5O0 feet of 1-2 inch hose is ordered and $s,0o0 is to be spent for minor equipment. The chief has recommended the purchase of a ladder truck, a pump
 ing engine and a hose wagon to be placed in reserve, the purchase of 5000 feet of 2 1-2-inch hose, and in creas sing the manual strength of out 1 lying companies. The city is contem- plating the erection of a modern re- pair shop in the vicinity of Engine to handle the repairs of all city equipment, to be under the control of | the fire department.
 i, Improvements already made com ply with Recommendations IA and IT and partly with Recommen dations 12 and IS of the 1912 report.
 Conclusions.
 The fire department is well or ganized, strong and efficient force, under supervision of a bipartisan board of fire commissioners Nand d1> rected by experienced officers; finan- ciaI support is liberal. Appointment ts and promotions are properly proba- tionary for six months, but entrance requirements are not sufficiently re- strictive and are not always adhered
 
 l there is no compulsory age limit sex for retirement. The manual strength of the department has been increased, | mainly on account of the installation of additional companies and the two- platoon system; day strnegth is am | pie and night strength is only slight l ly deficient. Discipline is generally good. Company drills are regularly held, but no drill tower has been pro- xrfI is +j<, l course of drills. Distribution of com l panies is good, having been improved | in all sections by motorization an6 1 in outlying districts by the auGit.;;cnal engine and ladder companies; chemi- l cal protection is excellent. Apparatus i is mostly new and in good condition. l Engine capacity is ample, and crews 1 are generally efficient. The supply of l 21k inch hose is ample, well cared
 for and regularly tested; no 5-inch | hose is. provided. Provisions for pro viding fuel at stations and at fires
 are fairly good. Minor equipment is | fairly complete but heavy stream ap- l pliances are slightly inadequate. The repair shop is we'll equipped and ef- l ficiently managed. but the quarters | are cramped.
 l The response to box alarms is well l arranged and strong in most cases
 but the response to telephone alarms | is often inadequate. | Fire methods are mainly good and
 the prevention of water dar1age is l well understood; more use could be made of heavy stream appliances on | serious fires. Inspections of>buildings gs l by the fire force and the fire pre- | vention bureau are frequent, but re-
 suits are only fair. Reports and rec
 ords are complete and kept in con- | venient form.
 | The Firemen's Relief Fund is sup. | ported by donations, per cent | tax on members salaries and funds
 from the city treasury if needed tc l make up any deficiency. Members | contracting sickness or injury in the service receives full pay. Widows ant | dependent members of families also
 receive pensions. The state compensa l tion act provides that $10O shall be
 paid toward the funeral expenses O. deceased members, and the widow ol dependent mother shall receive iron
 s5 to S1O weekly for 512 weeks; tht
 continuous pension is not operative
 during this period. Twenty-two me1
 are between 50 and 55 years of age
 between 55 and 60 and one is ove 60 years of age.
 | Companies-Organi There are 10 engine, ? ladder, chemical, 1 combined ladder ant chemical and 2 combined engine ant | ladder companies in service, at |
 stations. See Table 5. Each compan, has a captain and a lieutenant ant
 each engine company an engineer an, | assistant engineer. Eight of the en zine companies have automobile hos
 wagons in addition to the pumpin engine carrying hose.
 |
 The fire force, including the as
 sistant chiefs, is divided into tw,
 equal platoons. The platoons work 1 and II hours, changing twice
 month, at which time one platoo
 works 24 hours. The platoon off dut
 may be called when needed must re
 spond to all second or greater alarm
 and give 1 day each month for in , spection purposes; the off platoon called by whistles. During this inspec | ton a heavy fall of snow made traf 7 fife conditions severe; both platoon ' were in quarters for consecutiv days and the response of the secon | platoon at a second alarm fire wa l9o per cent. of full strength. Strengt I of companies is low at night No va cations are given under this system
 | Men of equal rank are held to cove
 vacancies in the relieving platoon
 ( ' l the chief to leave town, and only . l limited number from any conpap . or district may be absent at one tinf' Distribution.
 f Two engine, one ladder and On
 chemical company are located withi
 the congested value district; three a6 o l ditional engines are within the l. F mile and the entire department within miles of this district I'll
 southwestern manufa curing distri,
 is within 1 mile of four engine or 6 chemical and two ladder companie = Important sections have an engir
 company within 12 mile and a lae :. der within 3-4 mile. Residential I-.
 l tricts are within 3-4 mile of an er , zine company and 1 1-4 miles of a ladder company; chemical protectic :. is good in all sections. Distribute a has been improved since the last T. d port by establishing additional CT ,- zine and 2 ladder companies in ou