Chicago Fire Department’s Supply Truck

Chicago Fire Department’s Supply Truck

The Mack gasoline and supply truck illustrated herewith has been added to the Chicago, Ill., fire department as a means of supplying motor pumps at fires and other emergency service. The idea of installing such a truck in the Chicago department, according to J. C. McDonnell, chief of bureau of fire prevention and public safety of that city, arose from two sources: first, the necessity of a supply to pumps at tires of long duration, and second, because of considerable discrepancy in the record of gas received in the various fire stations and the amount actually consumed. In the matter of design and construction the truck is similar to those which are generally used by wholesale oil companies for oil deliveries. The tank is mounted on a motor chassis, capacity one thousand gallons. The truck is in service continously. In the day time it is used to distribute gas to the various stations equipped with motor apparatus and also it is in service day and night for lire purposes. The department has no initial supply yard, the truck receiving its supply from any of the wholesale yards having a contract with the departments to supply the gasoline The truck has been in service about a year and according to Chief McDonnell has proved very satisfactory.

The largest number of alarms in the fire department of Binghamton, N. Y., occurred in March of this year and the smallest number during February. The total number of alarms so far this year exceeds that of 1919, but, on the other hand, only one second alarm has been sounded and the losses have been kept down to a minimum. In 1919, 234 alarms were sounded, of which 192 were for fires. The loss on buildings amounted to $65,344.46, and on contents, $185,714.90, making a total of $251,059.36.