Evening star., 1952-04-20
Fire Tax Referendum
Had Part in Tragedy
OF Death Of Girl

Of Death Of Girl
A lost election, which would
have widened Takoma Parks fire
and rescue territory had a share
in Linda Maloney's death yester-
day.
Takoma Parks rescue squad,
less than a mile away, had to re-
fuse the emergency call when the
six-year-old girl drowned in an
unguarded drainage pool near
Chillum. Md. The Bladensburg
squad, five miles from the scene,
made the run. "Details on Page
AID
Direct cause of the child's death
was the stagnant pool at the foot
of Knollbrook drive near Chillum
road, left there by construction
project four years ago. 1t is
guarded on only one side by a
wooden railing.
Could Answer Second Call.
Takoma Park Fire Chief M. E.
Mcbride, explaining his jurisdic-
tional limits, said that city coun-
Gil order of last october prevents
him from sending equipment into
the Prince Georges County area
around the city unless it is on
second call after county COM
panieS are on the scene.
The order followed the lost ref
erendum on a proposed 1O-cent
special fire tax. Proceeds OF the
levy were to go to Takoma Park
and five other incorporated towns
serving the Chillum area.
Chief Mcbride said that if the
Prince Georges County Fire Board
dispatcher had notified him that
the Brentwood ambulance was
temporarily out of service, he
would have sent one.
Brentwood Arrived Later.
To this, the Prince Georges dis
patcher replied:
Il don't have a lawyer sitting
beside me to tell when Takoma
Park can or cannot answer a call.
I sent everything had just as
fast as I could"
The Brentwood rescue squad,
which couldn't answer immedi-
ately because a driver was not
available, arrived at the drowning
scene only a few minutes after
the Bladensburg ambulance.
The pool in which Linda drowned
has been there almost four years,
despite their protests to county
officials and developers, residents
said. They added, however, that
the water has not been very deep
in the pool until recently.
Ordered to Fill 1t.
Police Pvt. Emmett F. G.. Gray
ordered two bulldozer crews work
ing in the area to fill the pool.
The bulldozers were working for
a subcontractor employed by
Harry Poretsky & Sons, Inc, of
1913 K street NV, builders of
Chillum Heights and owners of
the land where the pool was To-
Gated.
Mr.. Poretsky said the pool was
left there by another builder when
he bought the property two years
ago. He said he had been ordered
by the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission to fill it in,
and his subcontractor was in the
process of doing that when yes
terday's tragedy occurred.
A high Takoma Park official
said this and other such incidents
which have occurred since the
council order "are extremely re-
grettable, but the people of that
area must realize that if they
want to receive municipal services,
they must pay their fair share"
Order Leaves Door Open.
He pointed out that the council
order leaves the door open for
areas outside the city to subscribe
to Takoma Parks fire and emer-
gency services by paying tax
of II cents per $1O0 of assessed
valuation. Residents of Takoma
Park now pay about Is cents per
$10O to their fire department.
He said the council order was
passed on demands of Takoma
Park residents, who were irate be-
cause their tax money for 80 years
had been paying for fire and
emergency services to people out
side the city.
Takoma Parks fire department
runs to the Montgomery County
area adjoining the city. he said.
Residents there contribute tax
money. Takoma Park does not
even receive the annual 81 400
given to all Prince Georges volun-
teer departments from a general
2-cent county fire tax, because
its fire department is located 500
yards over the Prince Georges
Montgomery line, he added.
New Volunteer Department.
The city of Takoma Park
straddles the Prince Georges
Montgomery boundary line, but
most of it lies in Montgomery
County.
Leaders of the successful cam
paign to defeat the fire tax refer .
endum last October made the |
point that their new Chillum- 4
Adelphi volunteer department was |
not included among the bene- !,
ficiaries of the tax. The Chillum-
Adelphi department was not
operating at the time, and al
though it has since purchased a
fire truck, it has no fire house.
The truck is being housed in the
College Park firehouse.