New Britain herald., 1927-12-10
PLA|NVILLE HAS
 FIRE DEPT. NEEDS
Adequate Protection for Out
 skirts Is Essential
fSpe ial to the us~ald)

fSpo lal to the Ut~aldl
 PlainvilIe, Dec. 10-The question Of adequate fire protection in tn" outlying districts is one of the i'm , pouant matters now before the oi'i- rials and townspeoplc Of Plainvitle, and, although the fire department is attempting 10 dispose of the prob i lem at least temporarily by the ad- dition of bumper to it's apparatu ! there is q growing sentiment that the extension of the water mains would provide more satisfactory ! and permanent settlement This means is now being urged by th" residents Of the outer sections. by businessmen. and by several town ! officials. who advance numerous req sons for such action.
 ! The matter has been brought for ctDly to notice in recent months by the burning of several houses which might have been saved if sufficient water pressure had been availa ble. ! In the case Of the Hart home on the New Britain road there was only q slight blaze when the fire company arrived, but no hydrant was 'ocat.h within several hundred yards and the firemen were forced 10 send for help from New Britain. When bumpers from that city reached Ih" scene the flames were well beyond control and gutted the place. Tn this instance, because the PlainVilln , Water Co. 'elt unable 10 extend it's mains thithor, the town purchased the right 10 tap the New Britain city pipe line passing nearby and cstab fish hydrant at Cooks corner. More recently the Anderson place on Pennington avenue was lcvelle'l by q fire which some claim could have been checked if water under pressure had been availa ble. Several barns and smaller buildings on the outskirts have suffered similar fates.
 Agitation Is Started
 These fires led to agitation for tho purchase Of bumper or at least of a "booster' pump. and the latter piece Of apparatus was bought this week. l. is now being mounted on an old automobile chassis rlonat ed 10 the town and it is expected that the new piece Of equipment will fn ready In six weeks. The pump is operated by the automobile engine and draws water from a 125 gallon tank or from any nearby pond or brook
 While this will be Of unquestion- ed value in many cases some of the firemcn are none too sanguine about the results which could he obtained from it in other instances. The 125 gallons contained in the tank would not suffice 10 quell large Are. and in many cases tn. nearest body Of water is too far away or is sur rounded by ground too treacherons for the apparatus to negotiate. Tn these cases only hydrants will suf- flee. the proponents of water main extension assert.
 Westwood Park Hydrant
 IT is feared by many that i, a fire should ever obtain g real start in such a district as Westwood park if would sweep the entire section without the department having q possible hope of checking it. Not only would water main extension minimize fire loss and danger. it is said. but if would for that reason tend 10 lower the high fire insur- ance rate which are now in effect throughout the outlying sections of Plainville
 Furnishing town water to these districts would result in better health. one town official has stated. saying that it would provide uni formly safe and healthful drinking water. At present the residents rely on wells. and these are often unsat- isfactory, while the lack Of sewers and consequent presence of cess pools constitute an over-p present health menace which has been brought 10 notice several times by typhoid outbreaks.
 The extending of the mains would help the growth of the town, it is argued by those who claim that the principal drawback to the increase of population is the absence of pro- per water and sewage facilities. Plainville offers a tempting field as d residential district for workers in the factories of nearby cities, but these men are reluctant to move to a town without adequate water and
 sewage facilities. Despite this houses
 are going up constantly. but several
 instances are known w:4ere prospec- tive builders have turned elsewhere . upon being informed of water and
 sewage conditions here.
 a Plainvlle is said on competent s authority to be the only town ir the state not extending it's water
 mains in proportion to it's growth q include Westwood Park, Farming
 ton avenue. Unionville avenue, ana { South Washington street.
 r No criticism is levelled at the fI~ , department. which is considered = one of the most efficient voluntec, ' dcpartm ents In the state. Its . promptnoss has brought repeated I praises. while the fire loss here eacf 2 year is slight and the cost 10 the :. town is remarkably low. But tho 5 best department needs adequate { equipment. and in that aviom lies , the basis Of the agitation for extcn- , sion Of the water mains.
 A 'waysido pulpit" in the form Of