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Show Fire Department of Zion I Dame fortune has favored tho Salt Lake City firo department in many ways during tho past year. Numerous changes have been made in tho department depart-ment officials, as well as in the various fire stations, and there is no question of' doubt but each and every ono of them has Jieen for tho bettor. So much so that the local fire department is one unsurpassed in the whole United States for a city of tho same size as Salt, Lake. ! Of tho many changes made one of tho most essential was the appointment of a new chief, who took tho oath of offico on August 3, and since that (ime has not, only won tho high respect of nil the men, affiliated with tho fire fighting force of tho city, but has shown to the citizens of Salt Lake an ability as an executive head and a fire fighter that all parlies and creeds agrco that no mistake was made when William II. tilore was given the rcsponsiblo position po-sition of fire chief. Chief Gloro came to this city from Covington, Ivy., whore ho had a long experience as a firo fighter, to fill the vacancy caused by tho dismissal, for tho good of tho service, of Charle3 T. Vnil. At tho samo timo that -tho city council dismissed "Vail as chief tho assistant as-sistant chief. B3 ron H. Crosby, was ro- I tired from tho service. Chief Glore. after getting thoroughly acquainted 11,11 i.iiu wuriings or tne department, selected from the ranks an assistant chief in tho person of "William L. Fitzgerald, Fitz-gerald, who, up to Scptombcr 1, tho time of his appointment, had boon captain cap-tain of firo station No. 5. Thus tho two exocutivo heads of tho department aro Chiof William 31. Gloro and As' sistant Chief William L. Fitzgerald. Although tho firo department has boen called out a good manv more times during dur-ing tho period from .Tanuary 1 to December De-cember 1 in tho year just past, than in tho same timo in 1007, tho firo loss is much Binallor, plninly showing that tho m firo department has gained in efficiency during tho past twelve months. With Chief Glore at the head of tho department its ability for battling with finmcs is still being bettered, bet-tered, a, marked change being noticed sinco his induction into office. During the cloven months from January 1 to December 1 tho firo department was called out 356 times over that of 221 for tho eleven months in 2907. A comparison of figures for 1007 and 1908 is tho best proof of the good work of the fire fighting force of Zion. Property Prop-erty involved in fires of 1908, $3,764,-275.00: $3,764,-275.00: 1907. $2,101,755.00. Insuranco paid, 190S, S25.1S5.20; 1907. $46,138.06. Actual loss. 1908, $34,459.76; 1907, $57,427.60. Losses over insurance, 190S. $9,274.50: 1907. $11,289.54. Since tho coming into offico of Chief Glore many changes have taken place, which havo necessitated tho expenditure expendi-ture of quite a sum of money, but all has been well expended in fitting up the equipment and stations. At, tho various slations improvements of an extensive nature have been carried 011. It would be difficult to find a cifv in the United States where tho firo houses arc kept in better condition than in Salt Lake Cit-. Chief Glore, in speaking speak-ing about tho departmcut, its duties and responsibilities, said: "The valuation of tho new buildinrrs 111 Salt Lake City have been such in the past two years as to greatly increase tho risks which the lire department looks nfter. The additional risk in tho value of buildings is about $8,000,-000. $8,000,-000. There arc also considerable risks in the increased valuations of contents of the now buildings. In other citic-.the citic-.the sizo of Salt Lake City tho estimate I is to have one fireman to everv $750.- I 000 of risk, thus figuring out 'so Salt Lake would need about uine newsmen. The nature of the new buildings aro such that it is plainly evident that there is now equipment needed for tho department for fighting fires in buildings build-ings of four stories or over. The department de-partment needs a water tower and a fully equipped hose wagon to use in ease of emergency, should one of the several wagons be disabled. T also feel that the city should install a new firo slntion iu the southwestern part of the city, as there is a large territory there that is unguarded from fire by a. station close at hand. The secret of fighting a fire successfully is getting to it early and nipping it in the bud. For this reason 1 believe a station, with a force of eight or nine firemen, shot 'd be located in that section of the citv. "Tn the firo department wc have "a workiiif force of nbonf: sirlv-fiim ,nn The city ordinances require that a fireman fire-man shall bo stationed at all theaters during a performance. Tn tho era of recent building in Zion two new theaters have been erected, making a total of five, which conduct shows nearly every evening in the week, with matinees in one every afternoon and others two to five times a week. With these men at the theaters and others going and coming from their meals, and with the men off on their regular days allowed, it badly cripples tho fire fighting force. On holidays, when every theater is running, it cripples the forco nearly 38 per cent. With a new company of nine men. this would better bet-ter conditions remarkablj-, but what should be done is to appoint special firemen to fill in the places of those at the theaters. These men would not need to be paid a regular salary, but would receivo so much oach hour they were on duly. I am heartily in favor of having hav-ing firemen at the theaters, for their services might be badly needed at any moment, but I also believe something should be done to prevent tho forco in the stations being so badly reduced in this manner. . LuuMiuvw iu oan, uuiic aro unlike un-like those of any other citv in tho country. coun-try. It being an inland city aud so far distant from tho places whoro tho product pro-duct used is manufactured, dealers in nearly every lino carry a largo stock of goods. In consequenco warehouses and stores arc well filled with stock, thus making tho fire risks much larger than in cities whero tho manufacturing manufactur-ing plants aro close at hand and goods cau bo delivered as needed. Storo rooms nud warehouses aro constantly filled with valuable stock. "Another thing, fo which T havo given no little thought, is a chango in the firo alarm system. At tho present, timo tho calls from the boxes located on tho streets como in over our own private wires. I huve thought out a plan for saving tho city a largo ex-ponso ex-ponso aud also bettering tho firo alarm system. My plan would bo to remove all the present fire alarm boxes and install in-stall boxes with telephones in them. Data of tho past throo years shows that out of 907 calls for tho fire department rocoived only 52 of them havo boon from boxes stationod 011 t.ho street. It is understood that the telephone company com-pany is to charge the city .1 high rental for running tho firo alarm wires through the conducts under tho main streets. Now, with tho telephones hired from the tolophonc company, tho calls all coming in over its wires, tho city would bo saved a largo expense. Tho firo alarm system is such at the present i i 111 c that to get it into good working t order a largo amount of new wire will havo to bo strung and many repairs made. The ' oost of maintaining the prosont Bystem ib large, as it koops ono man very nearly all the timo working on it. Now, with the telophone3 installed in-stalled tho telephono company would look nfter tho wires and keop them in good shape. "Tho recent heavy snow broke down many of tho fire alarm wires and it took the electrician with ono and two helpers nearlj- a week beforo he had nil the damage ropairod. With the telephono company and its largo working work-ing forco tho wires would be repaired in a very short poriod of timo. Another point in favor of having telephones in tho boxes on the street is tho fact that whoovor calls in will be qncstionod as to how big a fire is in progress and this will greatly reduco tho numbor of falso alarms, tho dangers of which aro only too well known. Every timo tho department de-partment goes out not only aro firemen, placed in danger, but also citizens in tho streets at tho timo. The fire wagons aro driven rapidly and thus much danger dan-ger is occasioned. Tho matter of installing in-stalling telephones has been taken up by tho Insurance board of the city. In my opinion tho telephone system Is far Rnpenor to that of tho old-fashioned box Bystem. The city should purchase 6000 feet of new hose to be kept in IH caso of emergency, as at the present timo the supply is very low. "Of courso since coming into the of-flee of-flee of - chief of the fire department I have recommended many changes, which in nearly every instance have been mado, but J don't feel that a single ono of them has been an unnecessary one. Tho lire department is now in an excellent shape and with tho successful year , iust past I look for tho ono coming to bo in every respeot as good.' The personnel of tho Salt Lake City firo department is ono of the best. Tho men aro of a stamp which roficcts noth-ing noth-ing but credit on tho department. Dur-ing Dur-ing the year station numbor five has been equipped with apparatus and a company of mon placed there. The com- H Sany has responded to many alarms and one a work which has shown its im- , portanco. A tabulated statement of tho work of tho firo department for tho eleven months beginning January 1, 190S to December 1 is as follows: RISKS AND LOSSES. y rj Insurance. Losses. Month. 3 o Over O 5 q Involved. rald. Actual. Jann3"r ' J 1 January :.. 2S 5 4 76,900. 00 ? 247,900.0O$ 1,030.0D$ 1,1S0.00S 150.00) 92 1 February 20 ir.0.000.00 227,300.00 1,143.00 2.238.00 1,115.00 98 ; March 23 .1-I9.S57.00 19-1,540.00 S85.0O 1.202.00 317.00 101 , April SI 1S0.010.00 102,200.00 2.792.90 3.S65.40 1,072.50 100 May 15 105,650.00 -31,000.00 2,464.32 2,459. ?,2 25.00 102 , June .11 SI8.-180.S0 232.450.00 2.398.85 2.57.1. So 175.00 9S IH July OS 512.52S.10 324,050.00 2.4S7.30 2,747.30 260.00 S7 . tM August 51 229,325.00 94,750.00 3.352,70 4,632.70 1.2SO.00 S5 Scptombcr 24 137,225.00 S7.150.00 1,052.00 2.119.00 1,097.00 S3 October 41 391.925.00 142,650.00 4.842.00 7,260,00 2.-11S.00 91 ' Totals 35ClS3,764.275.00?l,SCI,215.00$ 25.185. 20$ 34.459. 76j $9,274. 50 ...T j I STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS. - w a -3 h a 3 o a K 5 8 s- I Si? 5S g S f ! 2- r 5 So 5 3 I' Month. 2 L " M f? 3 -( po- tH H : H Jnnuarv I i) 27 28 42i 4.000 3U 15 Kehruarv 1 - 17 20 46 4,150 79 CO ' S March . 3 2 IS 23 46i 8.500 162 16 55 Anrll 0 1 30 31 SO 5,500 12 26 10 1 May 0 2 " 13 15 25J 3,000 115 12 Juno 'I " -1 52 0.500 2S0 25 5 julv 1 2 65 fiS 1555 9,900 69 4S 20 AuKUSt 1 " fit 123 S.S00 108 40 45 September ..... 1 - -'1 24 45 3.550 10S 15 ,25 October 3 & 33 -11 93J 5,300 159 .11 30 November 0 21 24 5Sj 4.600 177 26 ' Totals I 15 271 "-141 "3501 77.1 CS.S001 1.5S0 2S1 10 jl EXPENDITURES. Month. Salaries. Kxpenfel Totals. January 1 5,030.90 J 4.74S.S9 5 P.77S.S9 rebniary 5.023.80 640.4S 5.664. 2S M March.. 5.093.30 5.093.30 . ... 5.039.S5 443. SO 5.4S3.63 ' M-iv 5,225.00 579.00 5.S01.00 J Time"..". 5.097.70 87S.31 5,976. 0L HHh j v. 5.313.45 .161.11 5.474.56 lM Air'ust 5.301.60 1.050.09 0.351.69 September 5,426.60 1,756.19 7.1S2.79 October 5.4S9.30 613.40 6.102.70 November 5,113.55 1,440.92 G.SS9.47 ' Totals -"IS 57.4SS.15S 12.S1S.10? 69.S01.34 |