Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-20

'POAAS NdISA COu1pduy IuaL ur0 pres
Reports Of Assistant Fire chief 8. q
| Hoyle, battalion chiefs, captains and
! lieutenants on duty at the fire show
| there was considerable confusion among
! the firemen and that the first company
on duty, Pumper Company No It, did
not immediately attach the pumper, but
| strung a line of hose direct from the
fire plug, depending upon the ordinary
| pressure in the mains. In several of the
reports it is stated that this pressure was
inadequate. One officer reported that he
could throw a stream of water only to
! the cutters Of the roof Of one house
1t was announced that Fire Chief John
c. Loucks will take steps to discipline
the men who were guilty Of bad judg-
ment.
! STEPS TO INSURE
ADEQUATE PRESSURE.
Co-Incident with the report of the In
Vestisation the board announced that
hereafter when telephone alarm is re-
ceived at the Gamewen firm alarm head
quarters. unless the person giving the
alarln specifically states that the fire is
I DO small that 1t can be extinguished with
out water, that the Gamewell onerator
nearest the scene of the fire. This will
give the Water CoTrony immediate no.
t4ce that lire pressure is needed Fire
PRESSURE Is ninety pounds to the square
.nch' ana normal pressure is around
AAtF pounds TO the square inch.
an order OF Fire Chief Loucks. issued
May ~, requiring the first company at
nFe TO lay line Of hose direct to the
9re sre from the hydrant, get water on the
nre through this and then to immediatel~
proceed TO the next plug and connect
pumper so as to have a line with high
pressure available, was made public with
the boards announcements
BOARDS STATEMENT
Is NIFEN IN FULL.
The statement of the board of pphltc
sa1ety IN full is as follows:
ne board has received a detailed re-
port OF the fire which occurred on NoTfh
new Ne| Jersey Jersey street and Central avenue
! last sunday, and has made an investI
cation Of the circumstances connecfed
/ WIN those hres, so that changes NAV be
made In order that a recurrence of such
areS under similar conditions will be inn
We believe that the handling of alarms
gwen over the telephone should he
changed from so-calIed still alarms to
f eo1 alarms. 1t has been the custom
| Tor a number of years on each alarm
for the operator to ascertain If nosstbIa
I
the extent OF the fire and immediateTv
sehd the three nearest pieces of appara
tus. On the arrival of the apparatus.
II the flre appears to be of n serious ma
eure, the commanding officer of the first
company reaching the fire will order
! D0x struck. On the striking of n hor
addltonal fire companies respond. and
| the water company gives Increased ,,ras1
! sure. This method of bsndIine| ~, e f'sss-
/ was probably the best method So Iono
as the water company was giving a COM
paratlyeIy high pressure normally. How
/ ef - toF some time the normal pressure
VI the water has not been ADEQUATE TO
COMBAT fires Of any consequence
IT mas therefore, been decided that
| alarms received over the telephone nm
Iess explained to be fires of a trivial
nature In addition to having the nearest
! companies Immediately sent will cause
/ the turning in Of a box number from
! headquarters the same as though n
| citizen had sent the alarm from n streeH
1re alarm box. This will automatically
cause the Water Company to increass
| their pressure. In response to such
alarm there will be at least two com
| btnatiOn pumper and hose aDDsratus and
a service ladder truck dispatched The
flrst pumper- there will connect inn
mediately with the fire plug ana nun a
hose to the fire, giving such service as
| the normal wa$er pressure will permit
rms flrst pumper VIII then continue to
| the next nearest water plug connecting
up Tor pump service so that as tina
second pumper arrives it can run its line
| of hose from the pump to the fire and
pumping Immediately begun and the
second pumper may then move to tho
nearest plug and proceed in a similaR
manner. Under this new order, we be,
lieye time Will be saved in obtaining Al
satisfactory stream of water for the
fire.
POLICE TOLD TO REPORT
TO FIREMEN IN CHARGE.
instructions have been given to thu
police department on runs to fires for thal
commanding officer of the police squad
to report Immediately to the cOmmandina,
othcer or the ire, so that the policing O.
the fires will be to the best advantagel
of 60 fghting. One of the serious difs
in ft ting fires is the crowding OF sights
Seers, both in automobiles and on foos.
Automobiles should be kept at least two
| blocks from any fire, for otherwise they
the movement of their apparatus and the
working of the public service companies
and the salvage corps.
Last Sunday the service of the citi-
zens in preventing the further spread Of
this fire was very valuable, and but for
the work of the volunteers the fire would
have been far more extensive. People
with homes in the neighborhood of the
fires should remember that they often
spread and instead of leaving their homes
unprotected to get a close view of the
fire. they should remain at home and
guard their own property, seeing that
the windows are closed and that their
own hose is ready for use on their own
property.
I'VE believe there was unnecessary de-
lay in connecting up the bumpers at the
fire last Sunday due to lack of Judgment
of the first officers arriving. When the
Continued on Page Ten.)