Putnam patriot., 1924-02-22
CHIEF TELLS ABOUT
 FIRE DEPT. NEEDS
City Council, Impressed, Votes Extra S1,500 For Equip
 ment
Discuss Questions of Hose and Send.
 ing Trucks Out of Town

The annual report of Ralph l.. Thurston, chief engineer of the Put nam fire department, occupied the center of the stage. for time, at the adjourned monthly meeting of the common council on Tuesday evening.
 Upon invitation of Mayor Chapde- laine, Mir. Thurston supplemented ms written report with talk about the department and it's affairs.
 The chief voiced his opposition to allowing the apparatus to go out oi town. without due consideration, when calls are received for outside aid. lie Geciared that it frequently was useless fo send the apparatus because 1t could moi be of service when it arrived, De- rause of the lack of water. The fact That the city was left unprotected, Tn a measure, while the apparatus was < put of town, was also another reason for being opposed to the practice. The chief suggested fixing price for the use of the apparatus by nearby towns. He said. however. that Putnam has all ways been willing to aid sister town or city that needed help badly, and al ways responded if water was avail able.
 Careless With Equipment
 There was quite a discussion con- cerning the necessity of continuously buying boots and raincoats for use by the members of the three lire compan- ies To nut an end to the disappear ance of this city property, 1t was sgg- pested that each man be given his Boots and coat, and then be held re- sponsible for them A solution of the l5... x.r,.- IaFf 41 fba chief
 NIT. Thurston also complained that some men of the department never re- sponded to alarms for fire. some come out seldom, a few frequently and a number of men. always. Steps to cor rect this situation were discussed and will be considered at later council meeting.
 That certain downtown buildings are serious fire hazards because they are not equipped with fire escapes, was another matter which the chief drew to the attention of the council. He said that if anything happened. the council would be held responsible. and therefore urged the adoption of a building code regulating the construe- ton Of new buildings and urged acton looking to the correction ef the dan xeruus condition now exlsting on 
 Buildings he named.
 Entitled to More Pay
 Because the men of the Hoek X Ladder Company are responding to more calls than any other members ef the fire department. on account ef the new signal system, Chief Thurston recommended that these men receive more compensation than the other fire men. They do more work than the others. and therefore are entitled to more pay. he said.
 Chief Thurston also recommended the purchase of 900 feet of hose, the installation of five new fire alarm box es, and the erection of a iireproof flre station in which to house the cityss ap- paratus.
 Some of the figures of interest in the chiefs annual report are as fol lows: Personnel, ti3 men; their salary last year totalled S3.96S.30; 92 fires during the year. in which B caused losses Gall of which were preyentabie, the chief asserts) value of property on fire, S35s. .430; total damage, SloO ,42s 1; insurance paid, Sss, ,42l; actual none etry loss, SIT ,00s; 2,650 feet of hose now on hand.
 The council had already voted to recommend to the city meeting an ap- propriation of 0.500 for the fire de- partment. When Chief Thurston had finished talking this vote was reseind- ed and the amount boosted to Sl2,O0O.