Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-06
County Official
.Stirs Row on
Firenen
sofety Chiefs Reply
On New Setup Roises
Montgomery Issue

sSS0S
The question of whether
Montgomery County's public
safety director. Arthur E. Miller,
advocates paid fire department
for the county was one of con-
troversy today.
Members of the County Fire
Board, which consists of repre-
sentatives of Is fire departments
in Montgomery, contend Mr..
Miller favors such an arrange
ment. They also accuse the di-
rector of walking out of their
meeting at Rockville last night
after refusing to discuss the
issue.
Mr.. Miller denies both asser-
lions. He says the firemen mis-
interpreted his answers to a
QUESTIONABLE compiled by a
citizens fact-f1nding committee.
And, he adds, he didn't walk out
on the meeting. He left, he said,
because of another appointment
which he had informed the Fire
Board about before the meet
ing.
Questions Unanswered.
Page Hopkins, president of the
Silver Spring Volunteer Fire De-
partment, said Mr.. Miller ad-
vocated a paid fire department
to serve Silver Spring, Bethesda,
Chevy Chase and Kensington.
when we tried to question
Mr.. Miller about why this was
necessary" Mr.. Hopkins said,
"he told us it wasn't a matter
for discussion. He then walked
out of the meeting"
Mr.. Miller said today, how
ever, he had gone to the meet
ing to obtain data for a survey
of future fire department sites.
The County Council, he said,
had instructed him to determine
the fire needs of the next IS
years and to set up a list of
projected locations and priori-
ties. He said he had asked the
Fire Board to cooperate and
assist him in the survey, a re-
quest agreed upon by the Fire
Board after Mr.. Miller's depar-
ture.
The QUESTIONABLE. Mr.. Miller
said, was one issued by a COM
mittee headed by Morris Allen.
He said his Office filed a IL to
15-page answer.
Holds Answer MiscOnStrued.
One Of the questions asked:
What are the pros and cons re-
garding putting county fire de-
partments under county super
vision and control"
Mr.. Miller said the Fire Board
"misconstrued it to mean I was
advocating it."
II told them I wasn't advocat-
ing it," he declared. IT said if
I was advocating it, I would have
done so to the county manager
or the County Council and not
to a questionable"
Mr.. Hopkins said the Fire
Board interpreted it as referring
to control of money paid to the
several tax areas for fire depart
ments in line with bill No. IL
which was vetoed Tuesday by the
County Council after much OPP
position. The bill would have
given the county tighter control
over the volunteer groups.
Answer to Query.
Mr.. Miller's answer on the
QUESTIONABLE, according to Mr..
Hopkins, was as follows:
County control over the fire
departments should consist of
full operations of a paid sub
urban fire department. in the
area served by the Kensington,
Bethesda. Silver Spring and
Chevy Chase Fire Departments
and the 22nd precinct of the
18th district served by the city
Of Takoma Park, and budget con-
troll over operation of the rest
of the fire companies with pro-
vision for bringing in other fire
companies into the suburban fire
department as the county in
creases it's population"
Other answers by Mr.. Miller
giving statistical data on fire
needs also differ from views Of
the f1remen, Mr.. Hopkins said.
The QUESTIONABLE reply states
that II bumpers and three aerial
ladder trucks would be required
to be manned by los paid fire.
men at a cost of 1882, 700. Mr..
Hopkins said this would require a
fire tax rate of IL cents per 500
valuation, an increase of one cent
for Silver Spring residents and
two cents in Bethesda.
Mr.. Hopkins says LOG firemen
would be needed at the Silver
Spring Fire Department alone
under standards of the National
Board of Fire Underwriters, plus
seven bumpers and two aerial
trucks.
He added also that the ques-
tionnaire made no provisions for
operation of rescue squads and
ambulances.