FIFTY DOLLARS AN HOUR FOR OUT-OF-TOWN ASSISTANCE.

FIFTY DOLLARS AN HOUR FOR OUT-OF-TOWN ASSISTANCE.

Every hour the Elizabeth, N. J., fire department is in service at an out of the city fire, excepting a conflagration, will cost the town or borough which summoned it $50, according to a resolution adopted by the fire commissioners September 1. The committee recently appointed to consider this question reported as follows: “Your committee on apparatus, to whom was referred the question of answering calls for help in case of fire out of the city, would respectfully report that they have an opinion from the city attorney, and in accordance with said opinion, it appears that the matter is within the board’s discretionary powers and we would respectfully recommend that the rules be amended to read as follows: ‘That when a call for apparatus comes from out of the city, that the chief of the fire department be and is hereby empowered (when in his discretion such apparatus can be spared outside of the city limits) to send such apparatus as he may select and he to arrange at the same time to cover the district from which such apparatus be taken by other city apparatus. Such apparatus, however, not to be sent out of the city, except upon the request of the Mayor, Borough President or some competent person’s order, and with the understanding that a charge be made of fifty (50) dollars per hour for each apparatus so sent out and which latter charge they will guarantee payment of. The only exception to the above rule to be in case of a conflagration, when aid may be called for by a neighboring city or borough, and in such case no charge is to be made.’ It was claimed that the cost will make suburban towns think twice before they dicide to call the local department ‘when some barn or shanty catches fire,’ and that a man who owns a valuable house would be willing to pay $50 if his home were in danger.”

Every hour the Elizabeth, N. J., fire department is in service at an out of the city fire, excepting a conflagration, will cost the town or borough which summoned it $50, according to a resolution adopted by the fire commissioners September 1. The committee recently appointed to consider this question reported as follows: “Your committee on apparatus, to whom was referred the question of answering calls for help in case of fire out of the city, would respectfully report that they have an opinion from the city attorney, and in accordance with said opinion, it appears that the matter is within the board’s discretionary powers and we would respectfully recommend that the rules be amended to read as follows: ‘That when a call for apparatus comes from out of the city, that the chief of the fire department be and is hereby empowered (when in his discretion such apparatus can be spared outside of the city limits) to send such apparatus as he may select and he to arrange at the same time to cover the district from which such apparatus be taken by other city apparatus. Such apparatus, however, not to be sent out of the city, except upon the request of the Mayor, Borough President or some competent person’s order, and with the understanding that a charge be made of fifty (50) dollars per hour for each apparatus so sent out and which latter charge they will guarantee payment of. The only exception to the above rule to be in case of a conflagration, when aid may be called for by a neighboring city or borough, and in such case no charge is to be made.’ It was claimed that the cost will make suburban towns think twice before they dicide to call the local department ‘when some barn or shanty catches fire,’ and that a man who owns a valuable house would be willing to pay $50 if his home were in danger.”