Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-19
COUNCIL PLANNING FOR
ADEQUATE PROTECTION
Will be Prepared for Emergen-
cies in Event Safety Directors
Are Halted in Work.

That City Council does not intend
to be caught mapping In the event
there are any developments forestall-
Ing the work of the Department OF
Public Safety In the establishing of a
PAID fire department on September 1.
was learned today when it developed
that adequate plans for any erner-
gency are being prepared by the fire
committee that will AFFORD ample pro-
lection for the lives and properties
of the residents OF the city after the
contracts with the present volunteer
companies have expired at midnight
of August 81.
Alexander Il. Abrahams. chairman
of the fire committee of Council. said
this morning that his committee is
working on plans to be presented 70
the Council should the occasion arise
but just what these are he was not
in a position at this time TO make
public. He did state, however. that
thev will be Jf sufficient scope 10
eliminate any cause for worry on the
part of anyone for the city will not
be left without the means OF combat
ing a blaze of any proportions that
may break out.
1t was learned from authoritative
sources, however, that should the De-
partment of Public Safety be elirnin-
ated. even temporarily. from the work
of creating the paid fire department
City Council will be in q position tC
take up the work Immediately and II
they DC not themselves proceed with
the establishing of paid department
they will at least be ready to provide
fire fighting facilities in the way of
adequate equipment and personnel
Contracts for a continuance II service
Will be offered to the several flre CON-
panies In the event any Of them OF
all of them do not desire &c continue
in service either for short or Ions
period then Council will proceed tc
take over from the safety directors
what new apparatus they have al
ready contracted for and will buy
more engines and hose wagons
and trucks if necessary.
In the event any fire coclpany re-
fused a renewal of their present con-
tracts with the city then the Council
will eliminate them from any further
consideration in connection with the
new paid department. In such event
the Council will have the power TO re-
.ject such companies houses, engines
and other equipment that the safety
directors have already agreed te take
over for the city and this would leave
| the companies with their houses and
| all equipment on their hands.
The Council, il is understood. has
now arrangements whereby they car
secure within less thar an hour tbs
use of buildings in various parts ol
| town to be used fer fire houses, a
least temporarily. and within As hours
they could have delivered in VII.
mington a number of fire engines
trucks and hose wagons, to say moth
/ ing of any quantity of hose. TIT
| houses of the fire companies tina
/ might refuse to enter into neEotia
| tions for a continuance of their. con
/ tracts would be cut out from the iir'
alarm system and such companies
would then BE nothing r1ore thai
private organizations with no connec
ton with the city.
Through all these preparations. how
ever, the Councilmen are hopeful lha
their plans will not have to be pu
into effect They arr trusting the De
partment of Public Safety viii be per
mitted to continue the work IL ha
started and carried nearly to compile
4 ton and that there will be no inter
ruption with their general progi am.