Phoenix tribune., 1923-03-31
FIREMEN SHOW THE
TWO-PLATOON Plan
IS OPPORTUNE

the form OF a letter to Mr.. Dwight
B. Heard, published in the Arizona
Republican, and also in a long arti-
Gle in Dunbar's Weekly, the official
organ of the City of Phoenix, while
admitting in full the humanitarian
side of the matter of providing a re-
lief shift for the firemen, and while
further admitting that it would be a
matter of good business FOR the city
to have such an arrangement in the
Fire Department, nevertheless claims
it is a financial impossibility to pro-
vide the same, and presents a finan-
cial statement from which his con-
clusion or opinion is drawn.
We will therefore, proceed to an
alyze this statement, with a view to
ascertain whether that conclusion or
opinion is sound-we will take the
City Managers figures.
The very first matter that attracts
our attention is a matter of two
items appearing under the total of
$71,2OO, which read as follows:
"Other Items pending which may
be authorized by the Commission:
Estimated cost of opening First
street between Culver and Willetta
streets, 100000
"City's proportion of the estimat-
ed cost of the removal of the town
ditch, $4,000, payable in three an
nual installments of s12,1O0."
These two items alone total $22,-
100 for the first year, more than suf-
ficient to cover the additional cost
to provide two shifts of firemen; and
since they are for matters that are
not a necessity by any means, it is
! clear that the 2-platoon is financial
ly feasible and that the City Mana
gers case falls in its entirety as a
consequence, making further reply
really unnecessary, but we will pro-
ceed further to an examination of the
other matters brought out in the arti-
cles referred to.
Our attention is directed to the
fact that under the proposed 2-platoon
there will be on duty for period of
10 hours each day only men to COW
er each piece of apparatus Stand
ing alone, this is important, especial
ly in view Of the report of The Ma
tional Board of Fire Underwriters
referred to by Mr.. Foster In this
connection, we will call attention to
| the fact that under the present sys-
tenn, for a period of hours every
day the force is reduced to men
for each piece of apparatus, made
necessary by meal shifts and one
day a week relief So there is no
merit to this argument just as it
stands. Besides, Mr.. Foster is not
accurate in his premises; under the
2-platoon there will be men on duty
at the outside stations and at the
down town station in the business
district to cover each piece of ap-
paratus. Furthermore, there is a re-
serve corps of 23 men off duty, sub
ject to call at the will of the Chief
AS to insurance rates. From the
preceding paragraph, it will be OBJ
served that the fire protection will
be much greater under the 2-platoon.
Consequently, it must be a factor
tending to hold down insurance rates
certainly not one that will tend to
raise them, as asserted
Referring to the quotations made
from the Report of the National
Board of Fire Underwriters, We find
that all the statements therein are in
our favor; we do not discover that
any issue is raised by them. On the
other hand, it does appear from this
report that the apparatus is greatly
under-manned right now, and we
have already shown that the intro
duction of the 2-platoon will further
man it. The report recommends the
introduction of Civil Service rules
and the firemen will heartily well
come this whenever it comes.
The article contained in the Off
cial Organ above referred to we
found to be entitled "2-Platoon Sys-
tenn a He'll Raiser" We have dill
gently analyzed it and do not dis
cover therein anything with which
the 2platoon system will really inter-
fere except the matters described in
the items therein set out, and which
have been heretofore referred to here
in.
During the course of our labors
with the City Commission, seeking
to have this ordinance passed by that
body, it was stated to be our firm
belief that in making up the budget
next June for the following fiscal
year. if the item OF expense for two
shifts would be placed in that bud
get along with the other necessary