The Mankato free press., 1923-04-20
YEARS FIRE EATING
RUNS UP $2S,944:
Annual Report Given BY
Chief Ben Bangerter
GIVEN TO COUNCIL
Several Recommendations Are
Made; Cost of Depart
ment $14,164.76

In compliance with the require
ments of the city charter. Fire Chief
Ben E. Bangerter filed the following
| report with the city council last
night In this document is a com
plete report Of the activities Of the
fire department for the past year,
the financial report, and the recon-
mendations of Chief Bangerter for
the betterment of the service.
Among the outstanding recon-
mendation of Chief Bangerter is a
request for increase in the number
of paid men. This request is made
so that men in making a dash to a
fire will need not to await the arrival
of the volunteers before putting
their full and rapid work into the
extinguishing Of the blaze at hand.
An additional piece of apparatus is
recommended. This machine should
be equipped with pump, so as to
ment with the present water mains.
1t is also recommended that dead
ends be eliminated from the water
mains, particularly along Pike
street Five hundred feet Of new
hose is also needed by the depart
ment.
The department at the present
time consists of chief. first as
sistant chief, a second assistant
chief, eight paid men and volun-
teer force of sixty four men divided
and known as, Excelsior Hose
company No. l; Superior Hose COM
pany No. 2; and Hook and Ladder
companies Numbers l, 2, and 8.
The Several Stations
The department maintains three
Gated at 123 South Second street.
This is a substantial two story brick
building, and contains all Of the
principal fire fighting apparatus.
and quarters for the paid men. On
West Front street there is a story
and a half building. According to
the statement Of Chief Bangertef
building is in poor condition II
contains ladder No 2. On North
Fourth street, between Thompson
and Ann streets, is station No. 5.
1t is a one story building in fair
condition and contains Hose cart
No. ! and an old ladder truck, which
Is out of service. but il kept there.
.. The Drill School.
A school of instruction is main
tanned in the department, where
very efficient instructions in f1re
fighting are given by Chief Bangor.
ter at stated intervals There drills
are rapidly whipping Chief Bangor
ter's men into expert firsm-n.
All of the equipment at the Cen
trail station is motor -driven, and
are of the most modern tyne.
The Gamewell fire alarm tele-
graph is in use, and consists or
twenty street boxes throughout the
city. Chief Bangerter says that the
been. in service for nearly thirty
years. will soon require rebuilding
and extending. --,r
The water supply during the past
year has been good, but the depart
ment is handicapped from time to
time owing to the smallness of the
mains which do not supply suffi-
cient pressure.
During the past year the depart
ment responded to 172 alarms. In
the extinguishing Of these fires 49,
$50 feet Of hose were laid; 1926 feet
of ladders were raised: 1,S46 gal
ions of chemicals were used: and
four quarts Of pyrene were used. A
distance of two hundred and fifty
six and eight tenths miles were
covered, and the firennen were ac
tually engaged in fighting fire for
ona hundred and fourteen hours and
fifty minutes. During the year three
firemen were injured in the pei
formance Of their duties. Two OF
them sustained broken legs, and
one received severe spra1n.
Fire Loss $2S,941.
The total fire loss for the year
1922 and up to March 81. Of this
year amounted to $2s,941. The
property was valued at S245,175 on
which was carried $16S,S50 insur-
ance.
Total receipts of the department
for the year were, s16,S26.s4. The
total expenditures for the better
ment of the department amounted
to S3.91S.S1 The total amount paid
out in salaries to firemen was, $14,-
16476. -a ...ys,.
In conclusion Chief Bangerter
took occasion to thank Mayor ".
A. Beach and the other members Of
the council for their cooperation.
The aid given by the Mankato po-
lice department, the work OF the
assistant chiefs, and the press and
and general public also received
thanks for the part taken in aid
ing the department during the past
year.
The report was accepted by the
council and placed on file.