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

Dy No1tNAfAiN n NH1ALs
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 X 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 a 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 fireflghting,
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 week on
duty and estimates he has ridden
out on at least Is calls. But he
doesn't confine his f1re-fighting ac-
tivities to the hours when he is
officially on duty.
Mr.. Dulberg was visiting friends
In Rockville. Nd. when he heard
a radio announcer tell of the five
alarm fire that had broken out in
an Office equipment building on
Eighth and E streets NV. He was
about Is miles away from the scene
of the fire, but he hoped into his
car and drove downtown. For four
hours, he hauled hose, hoisted lad
ders, handled lines and chopped
holes into the building to enable
the firemen to get hose inside and
check the flames.
Many OF the auxiliaries are like
that. They have peen trained spe-
ciflcally to deal with the large num-
ber of fires that would undoubtedly
be started by enemy ,aiders; but
their duty, as they conceive it, is
to offer themselves for any kino
OF an emergency, whether or not il
grows out of the war. Wherever
there are firemen. auxiliaries will
be on hand in their shining white
helmets, taking their orders from
regular officers. going about their
business with swift efficiency and
without ostentation.
No Sitting at Home.
Herman Steinberg, 421l Second
street NV, clerk at the Board
Of Economic Warfare. was en- his
way home from class in truck
training at about IL o'clock ont
night last spring when Engine Co
No "a started on run just as he
was passing the station. To have
ignored the call would have gone
against the grain of any auxiliary
so Mr.. Steinberg followed the ap-
paratus at discreet pace until they
arrived at the FIRE.
A house near the Soldiers Hom'
was burning and smoke was putting
out of the windows in great plack
clouds. Along with the regulars
Mr.. Steinberg entered the house
threw open the windows and fought
the flames until he was finally com.
PEELED to get out In the air, hi!
throat choked with smoke.
TITS dangerous and often it.,
tough" Mr.. Dulberg said OF tn.
Auxiliary Fire Service. but yol
can't win war by sitting at horn,