Show I FIRE ALARMS Chief Engineer Ottinger Explains OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EUGINEER FIE DEPAKTMENT SALT LAKE Crrr April 231880 Editor herald Dear SirYour editorial in yesterdays yester-days paper referring to the unintelligible unintel-ligible manner of ringing our fire alarms and the confusion as to its whereabouts caused the citizens in general calls for an explanation of the system adopted by the department depart-ment as the mot ready way of directing direct-ing the members of the fire brigade to the JocAlity whore their services are required 1 say to direct the firemen for citizens aro not needed at fires frnm or thnan Ninltvninn IIULU R uuuuiuu ui IUU3H iliuctjuiuo uuu who rush t a fire are merely lookers on They never render any aid interferp with the work and order ol the department and create controversy contro-versy by senseless remarks and criticism criti-cism with uncalled for interference and preposterous orders For the benefit ol this class of smart Alecks let me say that Article 10 of the department depart-ment regulations strictly requires all V firemen to preserve a respectful demeanor de-meanor to all citizens but to obey no orders from them In the large cities Europe and America the fire alarm telegraph is no > largely employed em-ployed with the beet results By it a company brigade or the entire department of a city can ba Called into service and the citizens know nothing about it only the few living in the immediate vicinity of the fire The accuracy and reliability of tho tele n graph renders it most desirable for afire a-fire alarm The experience of everyday every-day shows its importance No fire department is properly equipped without it But the system can be only adopted effectually by those cities employing a paid fire organization organiza-tion the members of which are constantly con-stantly on duty to answer a call With us everybody knows or ought to know it is entirely diOerent Our firemen are volunteer who sacrifice time and health for the public good and in return receive derisions and nonsensical comments I am Dory to say from too many sources J our brigade deseived this through inert no t it would bo well enough but from an experience of seven years as an active member of the New York Philadelphia and Baltimore fire departments de-partments uuder the old volunteer system 4 do not hesitate to say that our department is as perfect in its organization as alert and efficient as those old organizations and I am prepared to prove to any ono who will call at the decartmont office by offcial and statistical reports from tho various fro engineers of the ccuntry that the Salt Lake Fire Department De-partment stands at the head of tlfe list when compared with cities of the sane population for efficiency and i good fire service as shown by the small amount of property annually JOt by fire With tiiia prelude Mr Editor let me now refer to tho fire alarm signals more directly for the benefit of merchants and property owners residing iy the fire limits proper and who I deem it but right should know where the fire fiend 13 at work Section 7 of the city ordinance relating to the fire department SeeS See-S L City ordinances l > Ill reeds In case of fire the signal shall be oue stroke of tho City Hall bell for north two lor south thrfee for east and four for west of said hal As this did nftt altogether fill the bill after trial the intermediate points added as ono three northeast two four southwest etc etc this being tho system in usa by the od volunteer department of Philadelphia and answered very well in that city whoa they tried several bells located indifferent in-different potts of the city each one ringing the direction from its particular particu-lar btalion This ringing the compass com-pass however after trial proved unsatisfactory with us Three years ago I divided the city into four fire districts that number being sufficient to cover the present fire limits East Temple street divides the districts dis-tricts east and west First South street north and south and the four divisions are numbered 1234 commencing with the northwest division or district For example when a fire occurs weet of East Temple street and north of First South street it is in the first district and the alarm bells strike one between the general alarms The second district is east of East Temple street and north of Firat South street th3 bells strike two between be-tween alarms The third district is wect ot East Temple street and south of First South street bell alarm three Tho fourth district is east of East Temple street and south of First South street bell alarm four This regulation we find to be tho most simple und eflective with I am sorry to say our present imperfect fire alarm system Very respectfully Your obedient servant G M OrriKGER Chief Fire Department |