Fire Protection Needs at Grand Rapids.

Fire Protection Needs at Grand Rapids.

在大拉pids, Mich., residence and apartment houses are becoming more and more numerous and more compact. The necessity of some other material for roofing to take the place of shingles is almost continually manifesting itself. In many portions of the city the alleys are lined with oid sheds, barns and rookeries which are a constant menace and are practically of no use. Many of them should be dispensed with. In a number of these sections fire hydrants are 400 ft. apart, with small mains and, in some cases, no mains or hydrants at all—making the combined conditions bad. Although Fire Marshal Henry Lemoin endeavors to harmonise with the insurance interests and property owners as far as possible in this work and has been able to do so, with but few exceptions, and has thus greatly bettered conditions, he finds it impossible to carry out this work as it should be. Conditions have been bettered, however, by the intro Auction of steel fixtures for all records and stationery within the buildings. This should be continued until all of the wooden furniture is thrown out, and steel fixtures are substituted. This is a very important feature, as none of the public buildings in the city are fireproof, and the preservation of the public records is of the first importance. The public buildings, also, arc not fireproof—an omission which calls for extra watchfulness and protection. In many of the newly built business blocks automatic sprinklers have been installed. The construction of most of the city’s business blocks, however, is bad, because the elevators are not within suitable inclosures and. in a great many instances, do not run out on the roof. This difficulty is being overcome in a majority of the new buildings erected, which is a matter for congratulation. Chief Lemoin also strongly recommends that additional firealarm boxes should be installed; that the circuit should be increased to fifteen; and that the underground system should be extended year by year. He also urges that a nearby location should be purchased and a new enginehouse built upon it for engine company No. 1. whose location is bad. Its crew and apparatus are called upon to answer the most important fires. He also adverts to the good results arising to the men and the city from the department repair shops. During the past year the department answered 281 alarms, of which 321 were to actual fires; and sixty were duplicate and false alarms. The losses on buildings were $49,197.47; on contents, $96,680.12— total, $145,877.59 out of an aggregate of property exposed to risk values at an insurance of $3,742,231.20 at risk. The class of buildings where fires occurred, and for which alarms were turned in were as follow's: Frame and wooden, 203; F’rame, ironclad, 4; frame and brick-veneer, 1; brick, 75; brick and frame, 4; brick-veneer, 2; brick and frame, ironclad. 1; brick and stone, 1; stone, 1—total buildings, 292. In railway cars these fires were 5; in street cars, 2—total cars, 7.— Other causes were as under; Bridges, 3; lumberyards, telephone poles, tar kettle, tree, one each; wood pile 2; rubbish and grass, rekindling of former fires,—total fires, other than buildings, 22. The personnel of the department is as follows: Fire marshal; assistant fire marshal and superintendent of firealarm; batallion chief; inspectors, 3; municipal inspector; captains, 14; lieutenants, 16; engineers, to; assistant engineers, 10; full-time pipemen, 48; full-time laddermen, 21 ; drivers, 28; clerk and collector (disabled in service) ;—total, 155. There are 16 companies of firemen : Engine companies, 7; hose company; chemical, 2; hook and ladder, 3. The equipment consists of: Steamers, 10—extra-special first-size American, extrafirst-size Metropolitan, 2 extra-first-size American-La France, first-size American-La France, first-size Continental, 3 second-size AmericanLa France, first-size Waterous, second-size Ahrens; hose wagons, 10—one special size; hook and ladder trucks, 3 American-La France aerial, 2 city; chemical engines, 2; hose, 27,450 ft.—2)4in., 25,000, 3-in., 1,600, 3)4-in.. foil truck water tower), 50 ft. l-in. 500 ft. The electrical department comprises six members, including H. C. Bcllinghouse. electrician in charge, four inspectors, of whom one is municipal, a clerk and collector.

在大拉pids, Mich., residence and apartment houses are becoming more and more numerous and more compact. The necessity of some other material for roofing to take the place of shingles is almost continually manifesting itself. In many portions of the city the alleys are lined with oid sheds, barns and rookeries which are a constant menace and are practically of no use. Many of them should be dispensed with. In a number of these sections fire hydrants are 400 ft. apart, with small mains and, in some cases, no mains or hydrants at all—making the combined conditions bad. Although Fire Marshal Henry Lemoin endeavors to harmonise with the insurance interests and property owners as far as possible in this work and has been able to do so, with but few exceptions, and has thus greatly bettered conditions, he finds it impossible to carry out this work as it should be. Conditions have been bettered, however, by the intro Auction of steel fixtures for all records and stationery within the buildings. This should be continued until all of the wooden furniture is thrown out, and steel fixtures are substituted. This is a very important feature, as none of the public buildings in the city are fireproof, and the preservation of the public records is of the first importance. The public buildings, also, arc not fireproof—an omission which calls for extra watchfulness and protection. In many of the newly built business blocks automatic sprinklers have been installed. The construction of most of the city’s business blocks, however, is bad, because the elevators are not within suitable inclosures and. in a great many instances, do not run out on the roof. This difficulty is being overcome in a majority of the new buildings erected, which is a matter for congratulation. Chief Lemoin also strongly recommends that additional firealarm boxes should be installed; that the circuit should be increased to fifteen; and that the underground system should be extended year by year. He also urges that a nearby location should be purchased and a new enginehouse built upon it for engine company No. 1. whose location is bad. Its crew and apparatus are called upon to answer the most important fires. He also adverts to the good results arising to the men and the city from the department repair shops. During the past year the department answered 281 alarms, of which 321 were to actual fires; and sixty were duplicate and false alarms. The losses on buildings were $49,197.47; on contents, $96,680.12— total, $145,877.59 out of an aggregate of property exposed to risk values at an insurance of $3,742,231.20 at risk. The class of buildings where fires occurred, and for which alarms were turned in were as follow's: Frame and wooden, 203; F’rame, ironclad, 4; frame and brick-veneer, 1; brick, 75; brick and frame, 4; brick-veneer, 2; brick and frame, ironclad. 1; brick and stone, 1; stone, 1—total buildings, 292. In railway cars these fires were 5; in street cars, 2—total cars, 7.— Other causes were as under; Bridges, 3; lumberyards, telephone poles, tar kettle, tree, one each; wood pile 2; rubbish and grass, rekindling of former fires,—total fires, other than buildings, 22. The personnel of the department is as follows: Fire marshal; assistant fire marshal and superintendent of firealarm; batallion chief; inspectors, 3; municipal inspector; captains, 14; lieutenants, 16; engineers, to; assistant engineers, 10; full-time pipemen, 48; full-time laddermen, 21 ; drivers, 28; clerk and collector (disabled in service) ;—total, 155. There are 16 companies of firemen : Engine companies, 7; hose company; chemical, 2; hook and ladder, 3. The equipment consists of: Steamers, 10—extra-special first-size American, extrafirst-size Metropolitan, 2 extra-first-size American-La France, first-size American-La France, first-size Continental, 3 second-size AmericanLa France, first-size Waterous, second-size Ahrens; hose wagons, 10—one special size; hook and ladder trucks, 3 American-La France aerial, 2 city; chemical engines, 2; hose, 27,450 ft.—2)4in., 25,000, 3-in., 1,600, 3)4-in.. foil truck water tower), 50 ft. l-in. 500 ft. The electrical department comprises six members, including H. C. Bcllinghouse. electrician in charge, four inspectors, of whom one is municipal, a clerk and collector.