Evening star., 1936-07-18

~ NCE upon time there was
1 brave policeman He stopped
\ a fire engine going to a fire
~ and warned the driver that
ne was exceeding the speed limit
Oh, didn't you know that there is
speed limit for firemen on duty?
Well, there Is, and it isn't so or 60
miles an hour. either. Believe it or
not, it is IS miles an hour within
block with "slow downs" recommend
ed for intersections. And coming
back from a fire. a fire truck is sup
posed to obey all regular traffic laws
which means % miles an hour, or
80 in outlying areas.
The Fire Department admits its
red trucks make so miles an hour
worth of noise. but it reports that
none of its drivers have been ar
rested for speeding on duty and only
the one mentioned above was stopped.
If Fire Department drivers have ever
been arrested for speeding in their
own private cars, they haven't told
the department about it.
You probably take the existence Of
the Fire Department pretty much for
granted, but there really is lot Of
interest to be learned by spending a
while talking to fire chief.
Almost every little boy, who doesn't
want to be an aviator or a Oman,
wants to be a fireman when he grows
up, and enough of them keep on
wanting to be after they do grow up
to furnish the department with a
waiting list. During the war it had a
shortage of men as did all employ
ers, but since then it has had plenty
of applicants.
ALL firemen must take the civil
service route to employment by
the department. They take clerical
and 10 Gntelligence) tests and boys
with high school education should be
able to pass easily. according to the
department. Lately, there has been
an increase in more highly educated
applicants, with several college men
taking the examination.
Following acceptance as a rookie,
the new fireman goes to the depart
ment's training school on North Car
olina avenue southeast for training
in "evolutions.' everything from
handling the great hose to climbing
ladders and sliding down firehouse
poles.
The department has just realized a
cherished ambition and has. after
several years work, succeeded in Civ
ing every active firefghter on the
force 80 days training at the school.
Under the new training procedure
which is just going into effect, one
fire company of the District will drill
at the school each day. except when
there are as many as 10 rockies in
training. When there are 10 rockies.
drill for the regular companies will be
suspended for 80 days and concen-
trated training will be given to the
new men. When there are less than
10 rockies, they will train with the
drilling regular companies.
No matter how much you want to
become a fireman, you can't unless
you are between the ages OF 81 and 81,
weigh at least 145 pounds and stand
at least S feet inches in your stock
ing feet.
There are $40 uniformed firefghters
in the District-the department fur
nishes the uniforms and they are
supposed to have one spic and span
on all occasions.
The head of the entire fire force is
Chief Engineer Charles E. Schrom.
Fire Marshall Calvin G. LAUDER is
chief of the fire prevention work. and
there are g few civilian employees.
During the calendar year 1885 these
firefghters answered SAP alarms,
and 6o6 of them were false. They
fought 3,455 fires.
Fire losses during the year amounted
to S446191. an average of 1929 per
fire, or SO cents per capita based
on the city's population. The de-
partment's chest puffs out a little as
it explains that insurance underwrit-
ers consider any loss per fire Of less
than 5000 to be low and any city per
capita fire loss of less than S1.50,
very low," so Washington may be
proud Of its flremen.
EIRE fighting Is q dangerous job
from the injury point Of view, but
comparatively few firemen here have
been killed. Last year there were 201
injuries, and the record for the past
five years ranges between 200 and 270.
After assignment to a company and
station house the new fireman par
ticipates in the general work of the
station and handling Of all apparatus.
unless he is selected by officers of
the house for more specialized work as
8 driver. That man high on the
great hook and ladder trucks hauling
away at the extra back-wheels steer
ing gear Is the "tiller man." hard