Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-02
CHIEF LUTz PROUD OF
new FIRE DEPARTMENT
Predicts That Within a Few
Months Il Will be Best In
the Country.

Fire Chief William j. Lutz ex-
pressed himself as being more than
pleased with the manner In which
the change from the volunteer to the
paid fire department has been effected
and also with the spirit displayed by
the volunteers In giving over their
quarters for the use OF the city
without a protest in a single In
stance. He is also delighted with the
spirit displayed by the new flrcmen
in undertaking their duties and tho
results they have shown and he was
emphatic In his declaration that within
two or three months. which time will
be required to iron out all the kinks,
this city Is going TO have a Are de-
partment that will be the equal OF
any organization OF the kind In any
city in the country of equal size and
far superior TO many OF them,
The first two fires the department
had To fight after taking charge were
OF the same kind, defective flues. The
second occurred last evening and was
on the second floor of the kleitz Build
ing, at the northwest corner of sixth
and Market streets Instead of using
water or chemicals the firemen simply
dumped buckets OF coal down the
chimney and cleaned II out and ex-
tinguished the flames and as a result
there was practically no loss.
Chief Lutz today called attention
to city ordinance which provides a
penalty of $40 for every fiue in the
city found to be i'm n foul condition
and he said he proposed to enforce this
ordinance because IL was designed to
remove serious fire menace. He has
already received from some OF the
companies reports that chlmneys In
this unlawful condition had been re-
sponsible for fires.
House Duties Of FIremen.
In each of the company houses now
| there are six or seven men and one
lieutenant on duty all the time One
man remains on watch day and night
and he sits right in front OF the indi-
Gator and the telephone. During the
day while the other flremen are
working about the house, this man re-
mains in front Of the Indicator 10
watch for all alarms. At night. while
the other men are sleeping, this
watchman maintains his silent vigil tc
not any calls or alarms that may
come in.
All firemen have to retire at /
O'Clock at night. They must get up
6 o'clock in the morning and take set
ting up exercises. If they have beer
out To a fire the night before they ar,
! tod a. al. IA
the next morning. No person Is nov
permitted in any OF the fire houses ex.
cept officers and men of the depart
ment. Later. 1t is expected. visitins
hours will be set between 1890 O'Clock
in the morning and o'clock at night
but then visitors may 20 through the
fire house. inspect the engines and
then must leave. There will be ne
loating by anyone about the premises
throughout the city and none will b,
allowed to congregate in or about tn,
fire houses. No meetings of any kind
will be permitted in any of them.
In responding TO alarms all appara.
tus from that of the chief down mus,
strictly observe the traffic rules an,
speed laws. Chief Lutz said no ma.
chine will be permitted 10 travel at 8
rate in excess of 20 miles an hour anc
this order will be strictly enforced a
all times.
At fires and going TO and cominl
from them there will be no unneces
sary noise, no unnecessary clangins
Of bells, no shouting or talking. A
fires there will be no noise. no shout
ing. no confusion as TO VIII,
is in charge or who is TO give or
ders. The officers in command vii
give all the orders and there will b,
no occasion for any one else to talk
No one but the firemen on duty vii
be permitted within fire lines
How Companies Wnl Respond.
a complete new schedule for re
spending 10 alarms has been made vi
On all first alarms at least two engin
companies and one truck company vii
respond. on second alarms at leas
three additional engine companies an
another truck company will respon
and on a third alarm at least thre
engine companies and the third trucl
company will respond. In the heav
business. manufacturing and tenemen
sections the third alarm will bring ou
the entire department. Under this ne,
schedule two taps followed by tw
more taps and then the box will b
known as a second alarm. Four tap
followed by four taps and then tn
box will be known as a third or gen
eral alarm. One tap will indicate tn
fire under control and no more com
, ranies needed. Two taps will indicat
fire out and all companies in servic
have returned to quarters.
Inspection Of Buildings.
Fire Marshal +. Morton Ainscow
with his two inspectors, William II
Mahan and Willard Yarnall, are bus,
inspecting the properties throughou
the city to eliminate all fre risks o
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