Evening star., 1942-08-18
Third OF a Series.)
By NORMAN A. KAHL.

BY NORMAN A. kAHL.
The Capital got it's first glimpse
of the auxiliary firemen in action on
that bleak Sunday last winter when
the skeleton of the Statler Hotel
on Sixteenth and K streets NV.
went up in flames.
There were at least so auxiliaries
working under the directions OF
fire department officers that day.
Not one of them had finished his
preliminary training None was ell
igible to ride on the equipment.
Yet, somehow, they showed up and
were put to work.
Some of them heard reports OF
the fire over the radio and hoped
into their cars at once to see if
they could lend hand. Others
were downtown at the time and
heard the sirens That's how
Leonard Dulberg Of 1919 Eastern
avenue, Takoma Park. Md. got there
so quickly. He drove toward the
Statler and when he saw what was
happening, he sent his wife home
in the car and remained. He was
wearing a good suit of clothes, OBJ
viously not designed for firefighting
but he stayed until far into the night
until the regular firemen with
the help of the auxiliaries had
whipped the flames under control
Heard Radio-Sped to Fire.
Mr. Dulberg, who is procurement
clerk in the Treasury Department
does his running now regularly
with No. "a Engine Co. at 3702
Georgia avenue NV. He manages
to get in about IA hours a week on
duty and estimates he has ridder
out on at least Is calls. But he
doesn't confine his fire-flghting ac'
tivities to the hours when he is
officially on duty.
Mr.. Dulberg was visiting friends
in Rockville, Md, when he hearc
a radio announcer tell of the five
alarm fire that had broken out ir
an Office equipment building or
Eighth and E streets NV He wa!
about Is miles away from the scene
of the fire, but he hoped into his
car and drove downtown. For foul
hours, he hauled hose, hoisted lad.
ders, handled lines and chopped
holes into the building to enable
the firemen to get hose inside anc
check the flames.
Many of the auxiliaries are like
that They have peen trained spe.
cifically to deal with the large mum.
ber of fires that would undoubtedly
be started by enemy ,aiders; bu
their duty, as they conceive it, il
to offer themselves for any kint
of an emergency, whether or not i
grows out of the war. ENhereveI
there are fremen, auXiliaries will
be on hand in their shining Whit
helmets, taking their orders from
regular officers, going about thei
business with swift efficiency ant
without ostentation.
No Sitting at Home.
Herman Steinberg, 42l1 Secont
street NV, a clerk at the Boart
of Economic Warfare, was en- hi
way home from a class IN trucl
training at about II O'Clock on
night last spring when Engine CO
No "a started on run just as h
was passing the station. To hav
, ignored the call would have gon
, against the grain of any auxiliary
so Mr.. Steinberg followed the ap
paratus at a discreet pace until the.
arrived at the fire.
| A house near the Soldiers HON
was burning and smoke was puffinl
I out of the windows in great placl
| clouds. Along with the regulars
Mr.. Steinberg entered the house
; threw open the windows and Tough
t the flames until he was finally com
! PEELED to get out in the air, hi
throat choked with smoke.
] It's dangerous and often it
Y tough" Mr.. Dulberg said of tn
! Auxiliary Fire Service, but yo
can't win war by sitting at hom