New Britain herald., 1922-05-09
Chief Urges Purchase of New Pumper-?revention of Fires Important Part of Work. SlE.n

Chief William ] Noble Of the fire department presented the flftieth an, nua report of the department to the commissioners at meeting in City Hall last evening, This was Chief Nobles second report and covers the fiscal year ending March Sl.
 New Equipment.
 In 1t he made many recommends tions which he thinks will be of bene- fit to the city and the department it. self. He recommended the purchase Of a combination bumper to be util- ized in case one of the trucks of the various companies should be out Of commission for a time. He rec commended the purchase of a run about for the use of Deputy Chief Eugene Barnes in his work on fire prevention.
 He also stated that he had made a study of the two-platoon system ir other cities about the state and found that 1t intended to increase the ef- ficiency of the departments and rerved to make more congenial the relations of the fremen to each other Tn the
  commended it's adoption.
 Deputy Chief Barnes gave a very interesting description of the fire pre- yentioa work that has been carried on in the city
 Doctors Appointed.
 The fire board instituted an innova- tion by appointing Doctors David Waskowitz and A, J. Savard as de partment physicians, each to serve six months. Each will care for the men of three houses, one to work north of the railroad tracks and the other south. The board made q ruling that any fireman injured in the line of duty must seek the services of the de- partment physicians and the city will pay the bills. The city has always paid the doctor bills of the men who were injured while performing their duties, but heretofore, the men sought their own physicians. Here after, any man who is attended by any doctor other than those appoint cd by the board to care for the de- partment, must pay the bills himself.
 The board voted to apply to the common council for authority Lo pur- chase 1000 feet of two and one half inch hose and 100 feet of three inch hose.
 The chairman was authorized to confer with the mayor relative to se- curing a suitable place to be used as a drilling tower It is proposed 10 rent the empty tower in Stanley Quarter which is in the opinion of Chief Noble, suitable place.
 The need of a new bumper was dis cussed, but no action was taken be- cause the board has no available funds.
 Chiefs Report.
 The following is Chief Nobles re- port in part:
 This is my second and the iiftieth annual report of the department. If gives in detail the number of alarms and as near as can be ascertained, the losses together with the value of the property endangered. During the year there has been 100 bell alarms, PIP still alarms, and ? false alarms, making total of S14 calls for the year, with a total damage 10 build- ings and contents of $175,695 with property at risk. s2,395.915; contents $1,692,sS0, a total at risk of S4,oSS,- 795. During the year there has been S3,550 feet of hose laid, 1.074 gallons of chemical used, and 5,227 feet of ladder raised.
 Strength of Department
 The strength and present condi- tion of the fire department and other her fnll ho tof fp1 manual force of the department at the close of the year comprised one chief engineer, one assistant engineer, one electrician, one assistant electri- clan, eight captains, eight lieutenants, enc master mechanic, 33 firemen, all of whom are permanent There are ] callmen, making a total force Of 71 men.
 Pension List
 There are at present 3 men on the pension roll, as follows: Harry Latham, William Hultberg, John Fo- ley, Patrick Egan, Frank Humphrey, William Torsythe, Thomas Clerkin, James Tormav George Caswell Thomas Clark, Theodore Wilson, liar " Wetmore, stephen Sauter and dur ing the past year Of this list, Messrs Wilson, Wetmore and Sauter were placed on the roll.
 During the year the following transfers were made which were con sidered for the best interests of the department: Howard Jones from No. to No. Leonard Saunders from No truck to No. l truck.
 "On November IS, James Austin, chiefs driver, resigned from the de- partment and on March 20 Lieuten- ant Thomas Higgins resigned.
 "On June 20, Adolph Wagner was detailed to No. 5; on October IT, John Maher was detailed to No. ? and on November 1, William Coffey was detailed to No. truck.
 Accidents In Ranks
 "On May 23 Louis Huber of No. met with an accident while adjust ing a shuttle hole cover from a ladder which slipped and he fell with the ladder. receiving a bad fracture of the leg, resulting in his confinement