Evening star., 1944-10-01
Bethesda Volunteer Firemen Won't Quit

FOtuutCCI llTcIucu, ike OlQ-tlneI
fire horses, like the sound OF the bell.
That is why the Bethesda volun-
teer Fire Department refuses to dis
band, although the community hasl
had salaried fire department forl
five years.
The volunteers have answered
only about five calls in two years
and none in the past two months.
They have sold two of their three
trucks and contracted Friday to sell
their f1rehouse.
But as William j. Hartley, assis-
tant chief Of the volunteers, puts it,
you can't get flreflghting out of
your heart" SO members are RETAIN
ing their charter and intend to seek
another firehouse and to resume
full operation after the war.
Meanwhile, they exercise" the re-
naming engine several times a week
by running it around the block. ;"
They maintain that they are still
in business" with approximately rs
men ready to CO." even though they
can't even blow the siren atop their
own firehouse, and all fire calls come
In to the paid department.
The first move to put the volun-
teers "out to pasture was made in
October, 1889, when the Bethesda
Fire Board dissolved" the volun-
teer group, which had been in exis-
tence for more than 10 years, and
voted to rely entirely on a paid staff
of f1remen organized three months
previously. Members of the board
are elected by the various citizens
associations in the Bethesda area
The action climaxed a three
months controversy between the
board and dissenting group of VOL
unteers over the appointment of A.
J. Bargagni as fire chief.
Some of the volunteers sided with
the board, while an opposition group
demanded the ousting OF Chief Bar
gagni and the naming Of Hiram
Musgrove, former volunteer chief,
as his successor.
During the course of the dispute,
three Of the volunteers, including
Mr.. Musgrove, were arrested on a
charge Of trespassing when they
held a volunteer meeting in the
firehouse, against orders of the Fire
Board. They were later acquitted
in Bethesda Police Court. Damage
suits filed by the three men against
the Fire Board, each asking $1,000
fny. foIcA yrnr cntflol
of court.
The dissenting volunteers con-
tinued to respond to fires but took
orders only from Mr.. Musgrove,
while the paid firemen obeyed Chief
Bargagni.
Finally, in August, 1910. the VOL
unteers built their own firehouse on
Fairmont avenue, thus giving Be-
thesda residents the choice of two
separate fire forces.
Friction between the two groups
continued until an agreement was
signed two years ago. Present diff
culties of the volunteers are at
tributed by Mr.. Musgrove, president
OF the group, to the paid depart
ment, which he contends violated
the agreement In this agreement,
he recalled, the volunteer group
agreed to give up its right to blow
the siren atop its firehouse and to
authorize the paid department to
receive all fire calls.
In return, according to Mr.. Mus
grove. the paid department agreed
to call the volunteers first when
assistance was needed. Despite the
agreement, Mr.. Musgrove said, the
paid department ignored" the VOL
unteers and called in other fire
departments when it needed help.
According to Chief Bargagni, the
volunteers have been called first
every time assistance was needed.
Only once was this rule broken, he
said, and that was the fault of the
dispatcher at the paid department.
THE fact that the volunteer de-
partment has received only about
five calls in the last two years." the
chief. declared, "just goes to prove
that two fire departments aren't
needed in the Bethesda area"
The volunteers dissent on this.