New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1929-01-26
BOYLE DIGS into
FIRE DEPARTMENT
CONTINUED from First Page)

asked by Councilman Boyle whether
the department rules require a me-
chanic TO be at all fires and the chief
replied affirmatively.
Il happen to know that neither
mechanic was at that fire." Council
man Boyle asserted. THAT fire was
in a bad spot and could easily have
been a bad one." Mr.. Burke ex-
planned that he answered the alarm
by going to No. 8 house on Kensing-
ton Avenue. near his home, but hay-
/ ing no means Of transportation he
did not walk to the fire, which was
more than a mile away: Had No. 6
apparatus responded he would have
accompanied it, or il the chiefs car
had been sent for him he would have
gone, he said.
ibid you ever hear that the time
that piece OF apparatus went
through the gates it was said the
brakes were faulty" Councilman
Boyle asked, and Burke replied af-
Grmatively. He finds It necessary
often to report defective brakes and
when repairs are made along this
! line he makes them.
WAS the Cadillac (the chiefs
carl repaired in Hartford?" was an
other question. Burke replied that It
was necessary TO send II to Hartford
for radiator trouble. as the mcchan-
ical division is not equipped to do
radiator repair work and ii was i'm
possible to have this particular Job
handled in New Britain.
No Tail Light on Truck
Referring to a ladder truck in the
department. Councilman Boyle
wanted to know why there was no
tail light on it. Burke replied that
the truck came without a tail light
! and for some time a lantern was
carried on the rear but this practice
was considered dangerous and was
discontinued. The councilman want
ed to know il Burke did not think
it dangerous to have truck with
ladders extending out in the rear,
on the public highways without a
tail light. also II he did not know
that accidents occurred through just
such conditions. Burke replied that
he had never been ordered 10 install
tail light, and as for accidents he
realized their possibility but acct
! dents also involve cars with tail
lights.
"What becomes OF the old tires in
the Department." the mechanic was
asked. and his reply was that there
were no old tires for some time on
cept the solid rubber tires on the
aerial truck and they were given
away. he believed. because of being
an odd size and unfit for use on pri-
vate trucks. The aerial truck is the
only piece Of apparatus in the de-
partment not equipped with pncu-
matte tires. he said.
lsurkc's Hours on Duty
The question Of how purchases
are made and how supplies are dis
tributed about the several fire houses
was gone into by Councilman Boyle.
who also wanted to know who
checked UP on the gasoline that
goes into the apparatus, who checks
UP on the time the mechanics put In
and number of other details.
burke said he reports at 5 a. m. md
works until y. NJ. daily with the
exception Of Sunday and frequently
at 5 or 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon
. lie is given permission TO leave the
city. He is allowed an hour for
lunch every day but does not always
! take it, he said.
| "Who put UP the net at the drill
tower at No. Z station?" Councilman
Boyle asked. and the mechanic an
swered that he had orders from
Chief Noble to fasten the supports
and drill holes. etc. which he did.
did you know that when man
/ Jumped into the net one of the posts
gave?" Councilman Boyle asked.
and Burke answered affirmatively.
Chairman Butler said he and Chief
/ Barnes have had under considera-
ton for some time plan for cor
recting the arrangement of the net
and Chief Barnes said he is working
on an improvement which he hopes
to have ready by the time the
! drilling season at the tower opens.
The matter of a broken valve in the
apparatus at No. I house was men
toned by Councilman Boyle. who
had asked that reports bearing on
the mechanical work in the depart
! ment be on hand and which were
! provided in detail. He wanted to
know if Burke knew the apparatus
had been driven out of the station
without oil and water and Burke
replied that he did not know it.
Councilman Boyle said it was driven
out Of the house on Oct. 81 and sew
eral weeks later valve was found
broken. No record of the fact
could be found on the reports be-
tore the committee and Chairman
Butler promised to look into it.
Question Mechanics Uniform
Councilman James p. Murphy said
he heard considerable comment
about the uniform worn by Burke
and inasmuch as the mechanic was
present he thought it would he we'll
TO get some information about it.
Burke replied that for some years
he did not wear Uniform but the
commissioners in the Weld admns-
tration ordered him to do so and in
Quiry in several places about the
state disclosed that New britain was
the only city where the master me-
chanic Was not rated a deputy chief.
Thu, ID 1