Evening star., 1927-05-29
F|REMEN WILL GET
FIRST AID TRAINING
Chief Watson to Have Corps
of "a Instructed for
Rescue Squad. 9

:. Convinced that the Fire Department
rescue squad stationed at No should
he supplemented by other f1remen
trained in the work, Fire Chief George
Watson has arranged for the instruc'
tion of "a members of the department
IN first aid and life saving.
While the extension of the elaborate
apparatus used by the squad at No !
cannot be provided for just at present.
Chief Watson is preparing to try
less expensive means by remodenng
an ordinary fire hose wagon so that
one side of it will be equipped with a
! limited assortment of rescue parapher'
MALTA. 1t will be put on duty at No. IL
I between Irving and Kenyon streets.
Comdr w. z. Longfellow, assist
/ ant national director of first aid and
life saving for the American Red
Cross, is instructing the f1remen, VINO
will be trained as thoroughly as the
members of the original squad.
When regular alarms Of fire are
sounded this wagon at No. IL will re-
! spond as part of the engine company.
Being in the vicinity of many apart
ment houses. it will improve fire pro-
lection by adding to the facilities for
removing occupants of burning build
fngs. At other times it will be avail.
able for emergency rescue calls in
that part of the city, thereby relieving
I the downtown rescue company from
part of its task of covering the entire
District of Columbia.
Service to Be Extended.
Chief Watson indicated he is favor.
ably inclined toward repeating this
method of augmenting the rescue serv-
ice in other scattered portions OF the
city until such time as appropriations
establish fully equipped rescue squads
problems of fire fighting.
Before another year rolls around
the efficiency of the Washington Fire
Department will be increased by the
erection Of the long-needed drill tower,
I in which to make every man skilled
artisan in coping with the every day
problems of firefighting.
Following a recommendation that
has been made annually by the de-
partment for a number OF years.
Congress allowed $4,000 in the ap-
preparation act available July l for
, construction Of the tower on ground
adjoining No. Engine Company.
, North Carolina avenue near Seventh
will be under way this Fall.
The tower will be five stories high,
with a fire escape on the outside and
a staircase inside. On the ground
floor will be a smoke room," in which
the men will rehearse in realistic
fashion how to do their daily work
with gas masks on. On the outside
there will be a standpipe and the
interior will be equipped with a
sprinkler system. In short, the men
beginning their careers in the depart
ment will be able to acquire actual
experience that in the past they have
had to gain over long period OF time
in action.
Demonstration Building.
Beside the to err there will be
erected small model of an ordinary
brick building to give demonstrations
OF the effects Of ventilation in a
burning structure. BY generating
smoke in this structure it will be pos
sible to show what happens when all
outlets are closed and what takes
| place when they are opened at top
! or bottom. .tss5,
I ; In connection with work at the
drill tower it will be possible grad
ually to give all firemen the rudi.
ments of life saving in addition sito
| developing specially trained rescue
Ssquads for any emergency. The ex-
tent to which the department will be
able to develop training school in
( connection with the drill tower Is
somewhat uncertain at this time.
! Since Rescue Squad No. l was put
into service in January. 1925, it has
raced to every corner of the District
] from its downtown headquarters in
an effort to snatch human life from
the Doorstep of death in all sorts OF
accidents, aside from responding to
i fires.
Distance Lessons Chances.
But time is the essence of success
IN life saving, and frequently the one
squad located downtown is called
upon to traverse nearly the full
| length of the city to reach the spot
where some person has fallen into
the water. been overcome by fumes
OF some kind or caught beneath a
barrier in some freakish mishap. 1t
sometimes ha~nens that those first
on the scene do not think of the res.
cue squad until other efforts have
failed. This factor lessons the chance
of the rescuers, but the distance to
be Travelled after the call is received
also becomes important in situations
where minutes count.
] Despite these difficulties, Chief Wat
son feels the existing squad has had
| a gratifying record of accomplish.
ment, and he believes this humanita.
rian service will be much more effec.
tive when he can realize his aim to
place a rescue company in each of
the five battalions into which the city
Is divided for fire-1ghting purposes.
The existing squad is located in the
central battalion. The wagon now
being fitted up for No. IL Engine
House will take care of the fourth
battalion, which takes in a wide
radius of territory around Park road.
There will then remain three bat.
talions to be provided with rescue
squad service. one at the west end
OF the city, one covering northeast
and southeast and one in the north.
ern part. the headnla fers Of which