Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-12
Alarm System
Control Sought
BY Fire Chief
Murphy to Ask End
Of Split Jurisdiction
At Hearing Tomorrow
By John W. Thompson, Jr

Fire Chief Clement Murphy will
go before the Commissioners to-
morrow and fire the opening guns
IN his battle to wrest control of
the city fire alarm system from the
District Electrical Department where
1t has been since 1882.
He has presented the city heads
already a detailed report in justi-
flcatlon of his contention that fire.
men, not electrical department en-
ployes, should dispatch fire appara-
tus to Washington fires.
Herbert A. Friede, superintendent
OF fire alarms, is understood to be
vigorously fighting the proposal.
No Voice in Appropriations.
Under the present setup Chief
Murphy has virtually nothing to saw
about the kind or amount of radio
equipment required by the fire de-
partment. He has no direct voice
in the appropriations for this equip
ment and, according to the report,
Cannot specify the types of radio
equipment he believes best suited
to the needs of his department. nor
is he the department head charged
with responsibility of applying to
the Federal Communications Com
mission for wave frequency assign
ments"
In this connection Chief Murphy
outlined a program of improve
ments he wants to make in fire de-
partment communications including:
l. Installation of radio equipment
on all f1refghting vehicles. The
Police Department, which handles
its own communications, has radio
on 1873 of its 241 mobile units. it was
Indicated while only 81 of 1875 in
the Fire Department are equipped.
Favors Three-Way System.
z. Extension of radio from two
way to three-Way communication
to permit apparatus not only to talk
to headquarters but to each other.
B. Walkie talkie communication
for use at fires.
a. Portable simplifying equipment
to be used by chiefs in directing
operations at multiple fires over the
din Of the fire
The study supporting the fires
chiefs claims was prepared by
three-man board designated bv
Chief Murphy to investigate. The
board members were Battalion Chief
R. E. S. Boss, Capt. j. w. Conroy
and Capt, R. C. Emerson.
In his letter transmitting the re-
port Chief Murphy told the Com
mlssloners that by law he is charged
with direct responsibility for the
protection of District lives and prop
erty from fire. In this connection
he pointed out that he can dynamite
buildings if necessary to check a
spreading fire and that if lives are
lost through failure Of the DEPART
ment while under his command he
is liable to indictment and criminal
prosecution.
Must Control Department..
1hlS is proper responsibility
from which do not shrink" Chief
Murphy said, To discharge it COM
pletely l must control the depart-
ment l command in every essential
operation. One of our most vital
operations is the fire alarm and
communications system. 1t is the
heart and nerve center of our de-
partment'
Fire alarm operators who select
the companies to respond to fires and
check the engine and truck COM
panies in and out of service should
be experienced firemen and who
themselves know the city, accord
ing to the fire chief, who indicated
he now has no part in naming and
training these operators.
Under his plan the present oper-
ators would be replaced as vacancies
occur with personnel trained in fire.
fighting and during the interim
period to have them under complete
Fire Department control.
Broad hints of lack of full CO.
operation between Mr.. Friede's de-
partment and the Fire Department
were contained in the report which
commended that all action following
receipt OF an alarm should be in
full and unhampered control of the
fire chief. 1t also charged that fire
departments control their commune
cations in 36 Of At large cities and
in only three is it under the city
electrical department.
Hits Split Jurisdiction.
According to the report, the only
way to bridge the gap of present
split jurisdiction is consultation
between the fire chief and the SILL
perintendent of fire alarm head
quarters and by written memo
randa."
The entire relationship thus
rests on very unstable base" the
study continues. the major in
gredient of which must be a spirit
OF cooperation between the two
heads and adds meaningly: The
meaning of cooperation, however,
is subject to variable Interpretation
by different people and is not COM
pulsory in all circumstances.
At one time, it was said, a. fire
Official served as transfer officer
at fire alarm headquarters to SUPER
wise company operations at multiple
alarm fires, but in 1910 the practice
was discontinued from this location
because Mr.. Friede charged it over
crowded his headquarters.
Use of experienced firemen, whose
physical condition has fallen off to
the point that they no longer can
be used in frefighting operations on
the alarm system, according to the
report. would save the District
$4,000 year in retirement pay
mentS.
Other fire chiefs are reported to
have made similar proposals regard
ing the fire alarm system without
success.
Chief Murphy took over the Fire
Department March l following re-
tirement of Fire Chief Stephen T.
Porter.
Two Fire Department
CurnivuIs Authorized
Two Prince Georges County Vol.
1lptnar E1iro Do,,o ~ ~ ,te will l,a,l