Evening star., 1936-03-15
FIRE PROTECTION
HELD INADEQUATE
A. w. Lee Cites Difficulties
Encountered by No. 19
Engine Company.

Citizens east of the AnacoSt1a River
are not receiving proper fire protec-
ton, Adelbert w. Lee, past president
Of the Randle Highlands Citizens AS
sociation, declared last week in a let
ter to Chief Charles E. Schron, Dis
trict Fire Department, in which he
protested against the obsolete equip
ment at No. 19 engine company.
The association has on several &C.
casionS called attention to the ancient,
inadequate and obsolete equipment at
the fire house at Twenty street
and Pennsylvania avenue southeast,
Lee wrote. Instead of replacement,
the equipment is becoming steadily
less uSable, he declared.
Inefficiency Is Cited.
Lee cited an example of the ineffi-
cheney of the equipment when on
February 81 fire alarm was sounded
from a box in the 1900 block of Penn
sylvania avenue southeast as a result
Of burning automobile.
"I am reliably informed" Lee wrote,
'by competent witnesses that the fire
company did not arrive at the scene
of the fire as promptly as could be
expected for such a short distance" "
This is not intended as a reflection
upon the efficiency of the personnel
of the Fire Department, he explained,
since he feels the men are entirely
beyond blame, as they are forced to
work with antiquated equipment.
When the engine arrived at the fire,
he stated, an attempt to use the tank
fire extinguisher on the truck failed
When the hand eXtinguiSherS were
resorted to these also failed to operate,
and by this time another engine COM
pany arrived and extinguiShed the
blaze.
ITO add further evidence to the ri
diculouSness of the fire company re-
spending without equipment sufficient
to meet the emergency" he continued,
''the firemen had extreme difficulty in
starting the old motor truck and ap-
parently some ignition deficiency
caused the delay in starting. as it was
observed by witnesses that the fire.
men had to make several attempts
in manipulating the ignition switch"
Engine Trouble Frequent.
This engine trouble has been OBJ
served several times. he stated. and
a rural district situated among rolling
hills should have adequate and mod
ern equipment which could respond to
emergency calls.
"I thoroughly realize the difficulty
under which you and other officials
in the Fire Department are laboring
due to the inadequate appropriations
in Congress. but I also know that
more modern motor vehicles have
been noted in some of the other engine
houses in the city limits where the
streets are level, whereas the district
served by the engine company that
am representing has many sharp
grades"
The following changes in the
Lights Committee we're assigned by
President A. S. Pierce: A. H. Bacas
TO replace Paul Schmidt, resigning
chairman. L. D. Jones and Mrs. F.
T. Burgess were assigned to the En-
tertainment Committee.
In another resolution adopted, men,
bers appointed Lee to represent them
before the Commissioners in request
to complete the grading of R street
between Sixteenth and Thirtieth
streets southeast.
81 New Members.
Reuben H Randall, Membership
Committee chairman, reported Al new
members and % renewals of member
ship had been secured. The new
members are Mrs Theodore Britton,
NJ. R. Waters, John Heratti, ]. H.
Hutchinson, N. B. Miller, DR.. r. K.
Hollingsworth, S. B. Roberts, w. NJ
Kern, w. C. Clifford, W. L. Davis,
r. A. Thompson, j. F. Reuth, jr.;
La Rue Collins, Wade Caddington,
Otto R. Schellin, F. J. Tice, George
w. Schemm, Clayton Henderson,
Frank Parsky, Miss Mary A. Merrick,
j. D. Nolph, N. K. Johnson, Mrs.
T. A. Trueblood, w. B. Cation, T. P.
Mudd, Joseph Buttice, A. L. Ware,
Mrs. Daisy Leech, Josephine Sommer,
e w. Johnson, w. S Wilkerson, Mrs.
r. r. NeStor, Ernest Hackethal, Mar
tin Mechelsen, John B. Facchima, j.
o. Weaver, Frances Langley, Russell
E. Anderson, A. D. Jordan, Eugene
Lynch and Charles Steele.