The Bismarck tribune., 1925-09-11
EQUIPMENT
ANTIQUATED,
EXPERT SAYS
Rodgers Recommends Pur-
chase Cf Four-way Com
binatiOn Truck
FIRE TRUCK OUT OF DATE
Pays High Tribute to Chief
HOman and Fire fighting
Force

TOICC
Bismarck fire fighting
equipment is antiquated, in
adequate, almost worthless to
city the size of the capital Of
North Dakota, Harry K. Rog-
ers, field agent on the staff of
the Western Actuarial Bureau,
Chicago, told approximately
100 city property-owners at a
banquet last night at the close
of fire prevention observance
day.
Rogers, who is better
known as Smokey" the fire
clown, examined the municipal
fire apparatus in connection
with an inspection of city fire
hazards conducted by the
North Dakota fire prevention
association.
Present fire equipment con.
sists of a two-way combina-
tion hose and chemical truck
with 1900 feet of hose and a
24-foot extension ladder. One
other longer ladder is unsafe
and might bring injury or
death'to firem if used in any
serious conflagration, Rogers
declared.
''This city's fire equipment
is a crying disgrace" Rogers
stated. 1T is antiquated and
almost worthless. How city
firemen can be expected to be
of any service in combating
ordinary fires common in a
place of this size with such
poor apparatus is beyond
understanding"
Rogers paid high tribute to the
efficient organization of the city lire
IoICc anu W LuC dDillIy anu uItSN~
tive skill Of Fire Chief Harry Ho-
man.
Greater Loss
"A fire. once it gets started, can
get away from the best fire force in
such hopelessly inadequate equipment
as you have in Bismarck, it is a
miracle that fire losses have not
been far greater than they have"
Rogers recommended that the city
commi ssion purchase four-way
combination service truck, capable of
pumping 45O gallons of water min
ute. equipped with 40gallon chem
ical pump, 1000 feet of hose, and
212 feet of ladder.
"This additional equipment will
just bring the city's fire apparatus
up to standard" he declared.
Compared with fire equipment in
marck's fire apparatus is "next to
nothing" he told The Tribune.
"The city would be almost as we'll
protected, I think, if it had no fire
apparatus" he asserted.
IF, after the attention of the city
commission has been called to the
woeful inadequacy of the city fire
apparatus, immediate steps are not
taken to buy new and modern equip
ment, it will be an act of criminal
negligence" Rogers declared when
interviewed.
Only by the "grace of God" has
Bismarck been spared the horrors of
a disastrous fire in its downtown
district before which the present
city fire apparatus would be "piti-
mully helpless" he declared.
A squad of Is inspectors yester-
day completed survey Of LIP prop
critics in the city, including hotels,
iness places.
Fire hazards of one kind or an
other were found on 104 premises or
a total of 92.8 per cent.
Electric wiring was found to be
the most common fire hazard and
there were 1873 recommendations on
this item Other recommendations
included, rubbish, So; miscellaneo eous.
Inspectors found serious fire
hazards in the high school, William
Moore school, and the parOchial
school,
Defective wiring was found at the
high school and the inspection report
recommended that competent cleo
trlclan 60 over the entlre wiring
system.
Loose coils and improperly sup
ported wiring were named as chief
hazards in high school wiring sys.
tenn.
The report recommended that rub
bish in the gymnasium be cleaned up
and that fire exits be made more
accessible to the gymnasium.
At the William Moore school, one
exit leading onto q fire escape was
found to be window in front Of
which is radiator. The report re-
commended that the radiator be re.
moved and that door be built in
place of the window exit
At the parochial school where,
inspectors were informed, "a children
sleep on the third floor. the fire
Continued on page three)