| Show fIREMEN fA FAVOR VO A PlATOON TWO SYSTEM Legislation May Be Sought I to Shorten Periods of Labor in Service Members of the tho S Salt Lake Lako City fire department are deeply l Interested In proposed pro pro- pos posed legislation which may bo be submitted submitted sub sub- I to this session of oC tho the legislature laturo b by which hours of or labor and null c conditions of or service ma may bo Improved and made moro more attractive to the tho men In the tho ranks Conditions now prevailing In that branch of or municipal servICes service are ex extremely ex- ex unsatisfactory according to members an and l former members of or tho the de de- de There Thero are five eighty members members members mem- mem bers of l ill all u grades In the tho department Proponents of or tho the suggested Improvement Improvement improvement Improve Improve- ment say MaY that Ci 60 61 ser oer cent of or these thee men are arc married and arid have ha families living In Inthe Inthe inthe the city yet et these men according to sonic some of their number have o an extremely extreme extreme- ly Iy limited opportunity for homo hoino life lICo and association with their families Former members of ot tho the d department who have secured cured employment In other linGS lines sa say s that conditions existing In the department department department de de- de- de are not known to to- the tho publio at large largo because of or the tho reticence or men who are aro In the active service of the city This reticence IB It caused these men say by tho the possibility that If th the j firemen firemen fire tire men express themselves eJi openly they may maybe maybe maybe be called up before their superiors In rank for tor disciplinary measures on grounds of alleged Insubordination Work Many Hours With tho the exception of or thre alarm op operators operators operators op- op who work In shifts of or eight hours each the electrician and his assistant who vho work vork about fourteen hours each day all other members of or the tho tire fire Ile department are ara on duty on twenty hours and fort forty minutes each day for six days das In each week These men each ha have havo 0 one full tuu day dar off ocr In ten and aid ten day days days' vacation with pay each year after their first years year's service Virtually ef every moment throughout hout the theda da day Is filled with t tasks ks and the firemen firemAn have little or no opportunity for diversion diversion diver diver- sion outside 1 the walls of ot their respective stations Their greatest l hardship however however how how- ever er they sa say Is the thc sacrifice of or homo borne lJ life whirl which all all- must suffer lUffer O. O A A. Potter Patterson on who for four tour and one- one half haIr years was a member of ot tho the Salt Lake City Cily fire fiN department but who now IH ii employed in other work v says ays that virtually all firemen In tho the service orvice of or the dt city favor rR th the adoption of or the platoon platoons s system stem but dare not voice this sentIment sentiment senti sentI- ment rent for tor fear Cear of re reprimand reduction or discharge Platoon System Favored The Tho police department has o operated ratEd for forman man many years under the three pia loon system 3 t tern tem m with Hh a marked ml degree of success But Bul Butth th the firemen Mr Ir says say would bo ho delighted d with a n two two platoon platoon system the day shift working ten hours and the night shift fourteen hours Every Even moment of or the day I Is filled with work for lor the firemen Mr Ir Pa Patterson on says sas and tho the dl discipline Is as strict as that Hint In tho the German army The m men n nare are call called d from their beds In the dormitory dormitory dormi dormi- tory at C G o'clock each morning Sundays Included They must clean clenn the apparatus and havo have It In spotless condition before 10 o'clock when hen a hitching drill li is sounded pounded sound pound ed in every oer station The machines arc are wf wiped ed aJ again ln and at 1030 there is a setting set t- t tin ting up drill The hitching Aching drill call Is sounded at al 1150 o clock o'clock each morning and hose hoso and ladder drills are held In the tho tower a at t the there re rear r of or central station at 2 o'clock In the afternoon Improvement I Is Possible The men then ire are are engaged III In housework house house- work such sweeping du dusting and scrubbing scrubbing scrub scrub- bing until 7 o'clock n at t night with a a. little lit lit- tle tie time lime off for reading or other othor diversions diver diver- within the sta station wh when n that work Is completed A hitching hItching- drill Is I. called at 7 i o o'clock clock at al n night after which the tho men are aro loft left to their own devices In the tho summer call exercises are hew held l b ho- ho toro tore the tho nIght drill The Tho m men 2 have two hour an and I twenty minutes off oft each day doy for meals meal Some men carry caro two meals In their buckets and aol take taka the full rull time out for the tho other meal Others carry cany one meat meal and Divide Ido thO the time Into two periods ot of f a an hour and ten minutes cach This meal Ume nn and the tho ono one da day off In ten give tho men virtually no chance chanc to a associate with their families The sit sit- U nation c could uld be Improved ed Pro and conditions condition rt h bearable M un under lor th tho tent f two platoon |
