Evening star., 1928-12-07
D. c. HEADS REFUSE
TOPUT SPEED CURB
ON FIRE VEHICLES
Commissioners, However,
Call on Departments to OBJ
serve All Safety Rules.
PUBLIC COOPERATION
ALSO IS REQUESTED
Opinion Rendered as Result of
Agitation Following Killing
of Miss Cecilia S. King.

The District Commissioners after
several weeks of consideration of the
matter of the speed of Fire Department
vehicles formally decided TODAY that
they should take no action which would
serve in any wise as curb upon the
speed OF the vehicles while answering
alarms OF fire. At the same time
they called upon the Fire Department
to maintain all safety consistent with
quickly answering the alarms and asked
for the cooperation of the public in
expediting the passage of the fire ap-
paratus In its response to emergency
calls.
The matter was forced upon public
attention on october %, when Miss
Cecilia S. King. an employe of the
Potomac Electric Power Co., was
knocked down and killed and a COM
panion badly hurt by the car of a
battalion chief, speeding 10 a fire alarm
on Fourteenth street southwest. The
| chief engineer of the Fire Department,
the superintendent of police and
the director of traffic all reported in
writing to the Commissioners that they
could not recommend any alteration
of the traffic regulations to curb a
possible repetition OF the tragedy in
| spite OF a report by the coroner's Jury
urging drastic change in the
regulations.
Opinion of Commissioners.
The Commissioners today sent the
following official communication to
George S. Watson, chief engineer of the
Fire Department:
The traffic and motor vehicle reg
ulationS for the District of Columbia
contain definite rules to be followed
! by the operators of vehicles as to the
speed and other details of operation.
| Recognizing the necessity of quick
response to and prompt arrival at the
scene OF any flre or other emergency
call, and In order to facilitate the pro-
lection of life and property, the Com
mlssioners adopted the following sec
ton as portion of the said regula-
tions:
| Section %. Fire Apparatus
None of the provisions Of ariy section
or paragraph Of these regulations. ex-
cepttng the paragraphs Of section 81,
article II, shall apply to apparatus and
vehicles OF the Fire Department when
| responding to alarms Of fire or emer-
| fire ground
Care and Judgment Urged.
| THE action of the Commissioners In
thus exempting the Fire Department.
from the provisions of the Regulations
mentioned was based upon the assurnp-
ton that the utmost care and iude-
ment would be exercised by the oper-
ators OF Fire Department apparatus
| ann ROV0dffiAwa Il -
whereby undue hazards to the pedes-
TRAN or vehicular traffic would occur
| In view of the foregoing, the Com
mlsSloners do not, feel that they Should
impose upon the Fire Department any
SPECIFIC restriction as to speed, or any
other factor incident to response to
alarms, or handicap the department in
any way in its public service. However.
the Commissioners are of the opinion
that the officers and members of the
department should be thoroughly i'm
pressed with the necessity for extreme
care in order that the possibility of ac-
cldent may be reduced to a minimum
You are directed to bring this mat
ter to the attention of all concerned.
Pubic Cooperation Asked.
"In forwarding this file to the Fire
Department the Commissioners feel
that they should express the hope that
the public will in the future cooperate
to the fullest extent with the depart
ment in expediting the passage of its
units in their response to emergency
calls 1t is the duty of those operating
motor vehicles to draw to the curb or
to one side upon becoming aware of
the approach of fire apparatus, and in
every possible way to aid in its safe and
speedy progress through the streets. 1t
may be that in some instances it has
been and will be impracticable for
motorists to draw to the curb due to
the congestion of traffic. but the same
ultimate result might be obtained by
making right-hand turn into a side
street. With regard to pedestrians. they
should, of course, remain in places of
safety upon the sidewalks until all ap-
paratus has passed"