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Show C LC ? tlzzZi Hero Fira Stcllsns. j . Tie great need of n fire department sub-station j iij the southeastern part of the city suburbs was; clearly deraonstraied Tuesday night when. the residence resi-dence of Councilman John J. Thomas was, with its contents, completely destroyed by tire. As eoon as the fire was discovered an alarm was turned in ar. J . the fire department responded immediately, mating the run of more than three miles over rough roafis in the dark in less than fifteen minutes. When the department arrived the, men were unable, to do more than confine the fire to the .building first at-Ucted. at-Ucted. This was not the fault of the men or of the equipment of the department and Mr. Thomas says that everything possible was done to save his ..prop erty and that the minimum time was consumed by the department in making the run. What the suburbanites in the district referred to need is a fire station. This has beea agitated by various Fire Chiefs for .the past ten years. In his annual, report in 1803 Fire Chief Stanton suggested that three new stations be established. One of these he suggested was to be in the southeastern part of the city. One of these stations was built. In 1804 Chief James Devine, the inenmbent, suggested among other imr prpvements, the establishment of two stations, and one was given him; In his recommendation he asked for a station on the site of the present Xo. 4, and one in the rapidly growing southeastern part of the city if only one piece of equipment could be placed in each- The city then had plans drawn for a station which was never built And the matter '.. has been taken up and handled by the present Chief ia each of his reports 6ince that time, with no re- , suit Salt Lake Is far behind all other cities of equal size in this respect & there is not another city of the jK)jmlation of Salt Lake with only two sub-sta- ,tkms. Chief Devine declares it is beyond all "reason "rea-son to xpect a department to run its horses for three miles or more with any idea of saving the building that is afire. All a department can do under un-der euch circumstances is to save adjoining property. prop-erty. In his report for last year Chief Devine said: "Provision should be made for the erection of another an-other engine bouse in the .southeastern part of the city at the earliest practicable date. WThen this is done the people of that locality will doubtless receive re-ceive the same reduction in their insurance rates that has been awarded those now residing north of Fourth South. In the sale of city property a proper ite for this house should be reserved." This suggestion sug-gestion was from a man who has for nearly ten years made a constant study of the needs of the fire department and should receive the earliest possible attention from the Council. An appropriation should be made at once to fill the much felt need and protect the property owners in one of the most promising and thickly populated sections of the city. |