Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-02
OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT

blessings as a matter of course. that
II. IL we wish the performance to be
continuous In Augusta we have
come to expect our fire fighting to be
of the best. The community would be
shocked to learn there had been fall
ing down on the job. Within a few
days we have had two fires with great
possibilities Of very serious damage
Any miscalculation in the. handling
OF the City Hall fire would have re-
suited in the loss of the roof. AS it
was. the program of public meetings
was not interrupted. This may not
seem unusual to us, accustomed as
we are to seeing fire outbreaks han
died efficiently. But one citizen was
moved to remark to the writer:
Come to think of it in the nearly
forty years I've lived here / don't re-
call any fire which might fairly be
raid TO have been handled in a way
) TO invite serious criticism. On the
contrary. we have had several large
fires. but none that were not confined
90 the locality where they started"
There must be a reascr; there al
WAYS is.
In the first place the men connect
ed with the fire department in Au-
gusta must have had a pride in their
work: otherwise they never could
have accomplished what they have
Surely their incentive could not have
bccn the money they get out of it
and that's something rather unusual
these days. isn't 1t? There's a place
whore we better turn down the COR
nor OF n leaf for easy reference.
Chief Small apparently thinks the
the men love their work. AS he sees
u, the men who so into the fire game
have in their souls love of adventure
and in their veins good rcd blood. We
conclude that out of his II years
experience. Ave Of which he has been
chief. he has got a grip on the
psychological as we'll as the mcchan-
ical sides OF 1t. The call men get but
s'25 year and sometimes they spoil
enough clothes to amount to that, but
the record shows there are no lag
CARDS. Another thing the chief has
fnkpn into opsideratiop. Dro cfi ~ II "
all these men are and have been me-
charics. skilled workmen command
ing much more pay per hour than
thor FIRE service brings them. No,
these men are not working merely for
money: another explanation of the
So high grade service Such men don't
tight fire with their tongues, rather
with team work
And speaking OF that, the chief Is
mighty proud of this loyal team
work. as he has reason to be. In the
department are two ex-chiefs. It
goes without the saying there are no
petty jealousies tolerated In the Au-
gusta fire department. Chief Small's
idea Is that a chief should see to 1t
that the equipment If At, that the
right men are assigned to the differ
ent divisions OF the work and are
held responsible therefor and get the
credit which belongs to them. Re-
garding this matter OF giving credit
he Is pleased to say Augusta peo-
pie have always shown appreciation
OF the hremen. all Of which helps
more than many OF us realize. The
city has seen TO 1t that the fire de-
partment IL properly housed and
equipped, the only great need at this
time being a motor ladder truck, and
" we are as appreciative as he thinks
We will not hesitate longer about
getting that Indeed this shouldn't be
done out OF gratitude but because it's
good business.
Aside from the contentment assur-
ance OF protection affords there is the
saving because Of a lower rate. Have
you compared cost OF your present
policies with that Of the old ones
II means something that Augustus
rates compare favorably with any
city In the country. not excepting
Boston. New York and Chicago. But
the fact shouldn't be overlooked that
the number Of fires are on the in
crease. In 1919 there were S. tele-
phone and 81 box calls. In 1920 there
we're CT telephone and 80 box calls.
In 1921 there were liz telephone and
90 box calls. And right here ID
where the citizen can be Of practical
assistance to the iiremen; II the dre
Is one Of much consequence. one with
possibility Of serious trouble, by all
means ring in the box alarm. Then
'veryhody help make a clear road to
70 fr": rot only get out Of the way
--n,.s .ut s.st that others do 30.
that electric cars or any other enter
prise occupying our streets conform
to hre emergencies. That sort Of team