Evening star., 1922-07-09
ny JAMES 4. BUCHANAN.


~ of the sirens-the changing OF
bells-the roar of high-powered
motors-the dashing of engines-the
noise of hook and ladders-the rumbling
of the water tower-the puff. pun. OF
the water-throwing engines. such Is.
in part. a description of how Chief OF
tkz Fire Department George S. Watson
and members of the Washington nre de-
partment respond to an alarm.
As YOU stand on the sidewalk you
wonder why the r1remen take sdcn des-
perate chances in dashing to fire. You
think. perhaps, that minute or two OF
time in getting to the scene OF the con-
faeration might perhaps be the means
of saving the lives of some OF the nre-
men. but if you talk with the chief OF
the fire department he will speedily con-
vince YOU that the speed is for the pur-
nose of saving human lives. The delay
of a few seconds may result in the jump
ing from window Of some hystericai
man. woman or child who is standing
ou the sill of a smoke-filed room with
hungry flames eating at the door be-
bind According to fire department oin-
Gals. .Washingtonians are lack IN ooserV-
ing the rules governing the right Oh
wav. they do not seem to pay much at
teution to the warning sounds coming
from the chiefs horn or the sirens on
tho engines. and, as a rule. after the
first piece of apparatus has passed mot
orists generally fall in behind making
a regular procession. apparently un-
aware that a second and third piece Oh
fire-fghting machinery generally 1oi-
lows the first According to the same
source of information. some employees OF
the railway companies do not orins
their trolley cars to stop when they
hear the alarm of the fast-approachlhs
engine, thus endangering not only the
lives of the fremen, but the passengers
on the street cars In every other city
of any size in the United States MOTOR
men are compelled to bring their cars
70 a standstill and maintain the car IN
that position until all danger OF coiii-
sion has passed. They are also required
TO stop their cars at crossings ana glance
both ways to see il any engines are IN
sight Pedestrians, in many instances.
seemingly unmindful of their own re-
sponsibility, saunter slowly across the
street depite the fact that the noise OF
the approaching engine can De hearo
four or five blocks away. 1t is only py
the most skillful driving that many fatai
accidents have been prevented in the
past.
TT has been for countless years the
L ambition of nearly every boy TO
be a fireman. and in the days gone oS
he has pictured himself riding upon
the seat of a fire engine, holding the
rains over the backs of two, or more
d,shinR horses as they drag the heavy
engine to the fire. He has mentally
a,tired himself in the old-fasnioneo
leather helmet. the red or blue nannei
shirt, across the breast of which was
the name or number OF his favorite
company. He has, in imagination.
donned the trousers and rubber poots
and has held in his hand the silver
TRUMPET won by his company. Alas!
however. for the dreams OF youth.
The old leather helmet. because OF
its weight and clumsines. has been re-
placed Dy d HcduplSSC AiioNS - >>-~>-
num. the fancy attire of fireman OF
other days has given way to service
able and sensible uniforms. The
n-ancing steeds, in majority OF
cases. have given way to motorized
fire-fghting apparatus. and the pres
ent-day chief uses not a silver trump
ct as was used in the days when
Virginia City was the greatest mining
camp in the United States. Antedat-
ing this. one found the old side-work-
ing pumping machines, and prior TO
this was the leather bucket brigade
all these have passed and are consid-
cred as much out of date at the pres
ent writing as bustles and puned
sleeves.
The modern firefighter is careful
ly selected and constantly trained spe-
cialist AS rule he is caught young
and trained early, and his training
never ceases while he is member OF
the department. He must ever keep
abreast of the latest improvements in
fire-fghting methods. His training
never relaxes, and his whole trend of
thought Is directed to the end that he
may De lnSlI ulliehtai III SAVING iiAS
and property.
The record of the District of. CO.
lumbia fire department., despite the
fact that it has in the past, and Is
to a certain extent at the present
time. been hampered by lack of
proper apparatus. is an enviable one
and not for twenty years has any
fire spread beyond the point of con-
troll
The department numbers $50 men.
George S. Watson being in charge,
with the title of chief engineer This
title has been carried down from the
old statutes under which the office
was created. The deputy chiefs are
A. ]. Sullivan and P. w. Nicholson.
There are four battalions and forty
nve houses. The department op-
crates under the two-platoon system,
another old idea and one that pre-
vents the men from having. needed
recreation. Some may think that be-
cause when they pass the fire engine
house and see three OF four firemen
sitting around the fireman has
an easy job, but let them spend a
day or more, as the writer did. with
the department and they will soon
realize that the fireman Is pretty
busy gentleman. There Is the daily
drill, the cleaning up of apparatus
and firehouse, the lectures, and this.