Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-03
Truck and Engine Companies
to Be Housed Together
in New Building.
BARRACKS ARE PLANNED
TO ACCOMMODATE % MEN
Four Tracks for Apparatus to Be
Provided in Proposed
Station.

Fire companies forced out of the
Pennsylvania avenue-Mall triangle by
the Federal Governments building pro-
gram will be housed In the same build
ing to be located in the vicinity of
Thirteenth and K streets, ID was dis
closed today by Fire Chief George S.
Watson.
The new fire house will contain
quarters for Truck Company No. 3, at
Fourteenth street and Ohio avenue, and
Engine Company No. Is, on D street
near Twelfth street. 1t will be the
largest fire house in the District pro-
viding accommodations for five pieces of
apparatus and the automobile of a
deputy chief.
The engine company has two pieces
of apparatus which will share one track
in the new building. A fire truck and
water tower, which consists of No. 3
truck company's equipment, will occupy
separate tracks. A fourth track will
carry a reserve truck.
Quarters for ~ Men.
The building also will have a dormi-
tory with accommodations for at least
% men. The present personnel of the
two companies is A, but under the
two platoon system only one-half are
on duty at one time.
The District appropriation bill for the
1881 fiscal year carries an item of $780,
900 for the purchase of site for the
new building. An appropriation for
construction of the building probably
will be included in the 1882 bill.
Location of the two companies upon
their removal from the triangle area
had been under consideration for more
than a year. Fire Chief Watson de-
sired to keep them as close to the new
Government buildings as possible and
recommended some time ago that quar-
tiers be provided in one OF the new
buildings for a company. When this
suggestion was disapproved, he recon-
mended a site near Fifteenth and E
streets in close proximity to the White
House, Treasury and new Department
of Commerce Building. This plan also
was turned down.
Although the new fire house at Thir-
teentn and K streets will be farther
removed from the White House. Treas
ury and new Government buildings
than desired, Fire Chief Watson be-
lieves the new location will place the
apparatus at more central point in
the congested area.
Awaits Court Removal.
Fire Chief Watson's plans for rear
ranging the fire apparatus also con-
templates the removal of No. IA Engine
Company from its present quarters on
Eighth street between D and E streets
to the present site of the Police Court
Building, at Sixth and D streets. This
plan cannot be carried out, however,
until the Police Court is moved into
the municipal center.
Traffic conditions in the vicinity of
No. IA engine house, Fire Chief Wat
son said, are a decided handicap to the
company when it responds to an alarm
of fire, and there is little likelihood of
improvement in the future. He point
ed out that 10th Eighth street and D
street are narrow, and, in addition.
Eighth street is blocked on the north
at F street by the Patent ONCE, which
makes it necessary for the apparatus to
use congested Ninth street when run
ming north.
The site of the Police Court Building.
Fire Chief Watson believes, would be
an ideal location for the engine COM
pany. A new fire house erected there,
he said. should contain quarters for the
various meetings of firemen's organi-
cations and the women's auxiliaries.