Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-03-13

Bureau recommendations for improving IRE
fighting procedure in the county, this newspaper
herewith publishes these recommendations IN
their entirety0
l. Engine companies should be organized in
the following areas and each equipped with
pumper of at least $50 gpm capacity:
*(a) Georgia Avenue and Seminary Road.
(b) Bradley Lane and Seven Locks Road.
%(c) Viers Mill Road in vicinity of Falkland
Drive
*(d) Norbeck, in vicinity of Georgia Avenue
Extended and Rockville orbeck Road.
@(e) Colesville Road area in vicinity of
Bonifant Road
(f) In vicinity of Old Georgetown Road.
sMontrose Avenue and Rockville Pike
(g) Columbia Road in vicinity of Fair
land
CHI Redland
SD Wisconsin Avenue, vicinity of Dorset
Avenue.
Cd Potomac in vicinity of Falls and
River Roads.
2. Ladder companies should be organized at
the following locations and equipped with mod
ern ladder truck having at least 75-foot aerial
ladder.
*(a) With Silver Spring House No. 2 tFour
Corners).
sob With engine company CD above.
(c) With Glen Echo House.
I'D With Rockville House.
70. The present practice of running twopiece
engine companies should be discontinued and all
pumper companies should be operated as single
companies:
(a) Present two-piece companies in Be
thesda House No. l, Chevy Chase, Hill
andale Kensington House No 1, Silver
Spring House No. and Takoma Park
should be operated two one-piece
engine companies.
(b) Present two-pece companies in Bethes-
da House No. g. Glen Echo Kensington
(Glenmont) House No. 2, Silver
Spring House No. 2 and proposed
House No. should be operated as
single one-piece engine companies and
the secondpiece of equipment main
tanned in reserve capacity.
a. The present running cards should be re-
vised so that the response to all alarms in Mer-
camille and Manufacturing Districts will be two
engine companies and ladder company for
daytime response and three-engine companies and
one ladder company for night response. In resi-
dental districts the response should be at least
twoengine companies and adequate ladder equip
ment at all times. The running cards should show
response to multiple alarms cat least threel and
for coveringin of vacated houses. These running
assignments to be made on basis of the nearest
company measured by road mileage over access
sble roads without regard to Fire Tax Area
Boundaries in determining the response.
5. Sufficient men should be available SO that
the least number of men responding on apparatus
will be seven men with each engine and ladder
company in the high value districts and at least
five men on other engine and six men on other
ladder companies Where the volunteer response
does not meet the foregoing requirements either
additional paid men should be provided to make
up the deficiency or the company converted to a
fully paid basis
*6. The practice of paid firemen responding to
ambulance calls should be discontinued; and in
lieu thereof, this service should be operated by
volunteers or by additional paid men whose sole
duty 1t will be to operate the ambulance service
*7(a) An experienced paid full time chief
and two experienced paid full time assistant chiefs
should be appointed for an indefinite term subject
to removal, for cause after public hearing. The
chief and/or assistant chiefs shall have complete
charge of the central alarms headquarters and
the following fire companies with respect to OBJ
erations on the fire ground training alarm
response. mutual aid and any other related fire
suppression duties in the cities of Takoma Park
and Rockville, the Rockville Fire Area and the
fire tax areas of Bethesda, Chevy Chase Glen
Echo, Hllandale Kensington, Silver Spring Ia.
koma Park and Cabin John.
OBJ An assistant chief should respond 70 all
alarms in connection with building fires and the
chief to all second alarms
8. All appointments and promotions of paid
personnel should be made under civil service
regulations with removal only for cause after
public hearing.
g. Members of companies should be retired
from active duty at 62 years of age; and an an
nual medical examination for all personnel over
50 years of age should be required
10. bumpers should be tested yearly and after
major repairs. The testing procedure recon-
mended by the National Board of Fire Under
writers should be followed and record NJ the
results kept on file.
II. All hose should be tested at Ieast annual1xy
at $50 pounds pressure and nroDor rooo,5. I.ox4