The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-02

pointed in the same manner as other |
members of the fire department.
Headquarters.
On the third floor Of fire depart |
ment headquarters, fhree-story
building erected in 1906 and recon-
structed into a fireproof building in
1915. It is exposed by adjoining
brick and meta1-clad buildings and
by a garage and warehouse across
a 50-foot street. The exposed win
dows of the operating room nave
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
fire stops; there are several open
stairways and light wells in the
building. Chemical extinguishe rs and
sand buckets are provided in the op-
Grating 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 sys-
TEN which includes devices looking
toward adequacy and reliability, in
GLIDING duplicate circuits to fire sta
tons and the replacement of many
unsatisfactory features. The head
quarters building is fre-resistive, but
contains the usual hazards of fire
station with automobile apparatus,
and the operating room is not prop
erly cut off. The duplicate transmit
tiers and duplicate alarm circuits are
not properly connected and full use
! is not made of the duplicate equip
| ment. Batteries are of good type and
generally well cared for, but are in
| only fairly good condition, due prob
| ably to impure acid
| Boxes are in good condition; two
| thirds are of satisfactory type and
the others have been rebuilt or i'm
| proved box distribution in important
! districts is good, and is mainly good
| elsewhere; a few groups of houses
| recently constructed are without fire
] alarm service. Boxes are fairly con-
I spicuous by day; red lights have
| been provided in some important
districts to indicate locations al
| night The circuits have been
rebuilt and two-thirds of the total is
underground, but much of the over
| head wiring is on poles with high
| tension circuits. The department tele-
phone system is adequate and well
installed, but the telephone company
| does not cooperate fully in handling
! alarms and telephone alarms are not
properly followed by notice over the
fire alarm telegraph system. Records
kept are good, but are incomplete.
AS whole, the fire alarm system
has been materially improved since
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
inflamables, also electricity.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The city charter creates Board
of Building Commissioners, consist
ing of three members, are appointed
each year by the Mayor for three
year term. The board has charge OF
building construction, plumbing and
examination of plumbers. It musl
convene at least weekly, examine al
pla MS and specifications, grant per
mits and pass upon reports of build
| ing inspector, etc. A building inspec,
tor is appointed by this board for j..
| thgee-year term; no qualifications are
, prescribed. An assistant building in.
spector is appointed by the Boar6
of Aldermen for like term ant
must be competent mason
Personnel.
The present board consists of VIM
Martin, President; Chas. H. Botsfort
, and VIM. McLennan, all of whom
1 are building contractors. Daniel M
l Rowland, Inspector, formerly a. car
; penter and builder, was appointed
Y in 1897; he is not experienced il
! modern methods of construction
1 There are also an assistant buildin.
inspector, a plumbing inspector ant
e two clerks. Two automobiles are pro
? vided for inspection purpose.
Conclusions
The building laws have been muc]
: improved since the previous report
0 but are still deficient and indefinite il
0 many or the more important feature
a bearing on fire prevention, leavin
n much to the discretion of the au
v thorities in control. The fireproo
: limits are of mainly satisfactory ex
s tent, but the main or outer fire limit
: fail to include important mercantil
s and manufacturing sections, and tn
= requirement in both are still waive
: by the council. Construction from
s fire prevention standpoint is yer
e weak, and little improvement can b
d expected until the building code
s further strengthened and impartial
h enforced by a competent inspector.
II Conclusions.
, The storage, handling and sale
n explosives and inflammable sut
n stances are only partly covered b
IF the ordinances, and the council ha
a | reserved powers to grant exception
w which powers are freely exercised
e the enlargement of neighbour
| property. The fire department an
re fire prevention bureau make frequel
in inspections, but, owing to lack
l. public interest and proper unde
2 standing of many common hazard
is conditions are far from satisfa ctor
lie In the congested valued district nun
ct erous hazards conditions incident
lie rubbish, bon-fires and explosive ar
s. inflammable substances were noted
he Conclusions.
L The city, up to the present tim
s. has exercised no control over insit
n wiring, and the inspections by II
underwEcs6HD are ineffective and
IN slight extent. Mech of the old al
IN new inside Wiring is in dangero
e condiuc9, and the need of compete
n supervision with frequent reinspe
t. tons is very apparent. The appoin