New Britain herald., 1921-05-12
FIRE DEPARTMENT
 WORK INCREASING
249 Calls During Year, Compared
 to t79 in 1919

During tho year the depart mcnt has responded to sixty-nve bell alarms. 17g still alarms and five false alarms. making total of 2I9 calls as aEainst ITO raJls for thc last y"Hr Tn" total fire 1usscs on build ings and contents were S12O.455.A9. Th" total bust.Iinga nnd contents nt tisG were S%.jIS.265. The lire pre- N"nttou bureau work has beon ear ricd on as effectively us conditions tr"rmitod. schools and public in stitutions in the city should have pri- Tptc fire alarm boxes. The department is now carrying on a. regular schedule of drills and the various operations are being made uniform and standard according to tho best practice and Vsagc. As a further means of in "Tcasing the efficiency of the men of tlm department. would recommend that the city consider the constTuC- ion Of H proper drill tower. as il is badly needed and would also rccom- mend that the building adjoining No. house On Elm street be rcmodeled tp bc used as a work shop. Would recommend that the horsc-drawn ap- Raratus at No. house be changed into a motor driven which could he equipped and. used as an auxiliary. Would also recommend the remodel ing of No. 3 house. which K in d very bad condition and has been in this condition for three ycars.'
 Fire Prevention.
 Fire prevention bureau. report by Deputy 'hief Eugenc r. Barnes:
 This being the third annual re- port of this bureau we feel that we have done aagrcat deal of good in the past year n-tha- line of cleaning up ot haza r,iS5ls conditions and bet tor conditions Of exits in tenement houses ana business buildings We have had several improvements made at the diaerent thoaters. making it us safe us possible far the people attending. Life ropes and rod exit lights were plaeea-in hotels and rooming houses where needed. At the New Britain General hospital fire es- Capes have been erected at different points. sprink lers installed in the boiler rooms and rcd lights placed at all of the exists. AS to waste paper and waste mat erial il is our aim, tp ksep. this cleaned up as much as possible
 Total inspections. S5s: re-inspec- tions. ar: buildings. 3i1: persons af- fccted,. 22.g3j: yards and allcyways, G34." t a.
 Commissioners Report.
 The report and recommendation of the commissioners:
 The one outstanding feature in the years activities was the acceptance hr the citizens of the two platoon system following a recommendation by this board for it's adoption. We have made a careful study Of this method of ro service from all angles. We have gone into the matter thor- oughly with cities which Have under gone tho transition from the old to tho newer system and have come 10 the. conclusion that .~thc substitution uf any makeshift requiring a much lesser number of men than that sug- Ecsted by tho commissioners in their recommendation would he detrimental to the city and would defeat the en- tire purpose of the two platoon sNS- tenn.
 During the year the latest con ytructcd fro house. No. G. was turned over hy the city and was formally accepted bv the board of fire com mfSsioncrs October II. 1920. The com pany at present in charge of the sta tlsn had been formed some time prior tn' the completion of the house and had been held in readiness ut No. engine house at Commercial street SD that no delay was experienced in making tho installation.
 The lire prevention bureau is still doing as effective and as satisfactory work as can be accomplished under tho existing system The present
 rf mi nf two men tusually the captain and ono other man) from a company who shall act as inspectors for approXi-
 mntcIy four to four and one-half hours, over II given area. or some par ticuIar day desiguatrd by the fire pre- ventiou chief
 The ideal method to n" employed 1 In Inc opinion Of this board. is to attnch one or two men permanently tn each company whose apla duty 1 shall hc in tho interest Of fire pre- vcntlou work Notwithstanding the | fact that the number of fires dur | ing the year was more than double that of previous years. Wc are con | vfnced that the efforts of the fire prevention bureau, because directed | toward the cause. have averted fires which would otherwise have swollen
 tho number to greater proportions | We strongly advocate the building ! of a drill tower During the past 1 year considerable progress has been
 made toward systematizing the work 1 of drilling. but facilities are too in- | adequate to obtain the desired re- l suits.
 | We respectfully request your earnest consideration of the neces- sity of an additional com pima ton pump chemical and hose.
 | We ish to emphasize the import ancc of Temodeling the small build | ing adjoining No. 2 Engine House | for usc as n work shop. Repairs rnmId ihen be mndc in otlr shon and