Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-30
Fire Department Is Well
Equipped; Loss This Year
szl Has Been Decidedly Lou
Fire Los. So Far In 1922 Es-
5!tiiznated AT $4,000 As Com
pared to $16,740 In 1921
And SIS, 1872 In 1920.

posts j Bells clang. motor truck dash
down the street, small boys running
in the wake. Pedestrians crane their
neckS enchanting. II wonder where
the ire is ~ But it Is all in the .
work for the firemen.
Few people of Grand, Forks have a
very CHAR conception OF tho nature
OF the ire department here. according
to. officials connected with 1t. The
average person takes the protection
afforded by tho fire fighters as a mat
ter of course. not troubling to lnves-
tiEate further. they say.
Grand Forks has a fire department
which compares favorably with those
of cities of the same size and even
larger, declare officials Of the de-
pertinent. It's record for an extended
period of years has been better than
that Of the average department.
There are two fire stations in the
city, one located in the south end n
the other in the north end OF town.
Twenty-nlne fire alarm boxes nave
been placed at various points through
out the city for use to the
department in case Of fire. Many
calls are also received over h tele-
phone, according to Chief John j.
Fitzgerald. A large storage battery
furnishes tho current for the alarm
system, which Is operated automatic
My. .,
Fire Equipment.
AT the south end fire hall is station
Ddea triple combination, g~asoline-pro-
PEELED pumper. This piece of appar-
atus will pump $50 gallons Of water
per minute, throw two streams OF wa
ter and carry 1900 feet of fire hose
and a quantity Of chemicals The same
motor which propels the the truck
serves alSo to operate the pump. IN
addition the nook and ladder truck
and an auxiliary hose wagon are sta
toned at the south end hall. h
hook and ladder is the only remaining
piece of apparatus in the city drawn
by horses, two of which still serve
in the department. The auxiliary nose
wagon Is equipped with a ~standpipe,
which will throw three streams OF wa
ter from the height desired, and car
ries 1900 feet OF hose.
A combination hose and chemical
apparatus, also propelled by gasoline.
is stationed at the north n fire hall.
"A Steamer or pumping engine Is
held there In reserve. Both the hook
and ladder and steamer are so arrang-
yed that in case Of large fires they may
be attached to the motor trucks and
thus hauled to the scene Of the blaze.
Three sets of hose bobsleds and .
hook and ladder bobsled for use In
case the streets are blocked for Use IN
complete the equipment
Call System.
The alarm system II 20 arranged.
states Chief Fitzgerald, that when an
alarm m in from Sthe residence
section 1t he north end of the city.
only the company stationed at the
north side hall answers h nrst call.
Should q second alarm be the
other company proceeds to h scene
OF the fre. The same IL true, with
the order Of the runs reversed, when
an alarm is sounded from the resi-
d6nce section in the south end Of
town. Alarms from the business Sec
ton or the vicinity of large buildings
are answered by both companies on
the first call.
call. men on the local fire fighting
force, according to the chief. Chief
Fitzgerald has been a member OF the
force longer h any other man now
employed by the department., having
joined the force 80 years ago. In 1892
Two or three other men now on the
force have served for eight or nine
years
f Average Loss
Records kept by the department
show tina for the past 10 years the
average ire loss has been only ,S24.-
Il 497 annually. This average is very
favorable when compared with that
OF other cities taking into c~onsdera-
ton, Of course, the size Of the towns.
ii declares Chief Fitzgerald. ~.
S The fire loss since January !. 1922,
50 estimated at not more than 5000,
states the chief. indicating that unlesa
an unusually large fire takes place
within the next few months the total
for this year will be remarkably low,
Not since 1912, when the total loss for
the year from fires was only s$5,140.-
"a, has the amount been 80 low as the
5pne which 1t appears will be register
"a this year.