Fire-Brigade Matters.
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Edinburgh Town Council is about to purchase five motor fire-engines at an estimated cost of £5,000.
Southport's Confirmation.
A correspondent of this journal, who previously drew our attention to the proposal, repeats his advice that a new fire station is likely to be erected at Surbiton before long.
By the Aberdeen Firemaster.
Mr. William Inkster, the firemaster of Aberdeen, read a most-interesting paper before the annual meeting of the Association of Professional Fire Brigade Officers a few weeks ago. Some extracts will be found on page 413.
Halifax Next Year.
In the minutes of the Watch Committee of tho Halifax Town Council a resolution appears to the effect that provision should be made, in next year's estimates, for the purchase of a first-aid motor fire-engine at an estimated cost of £850.
Merthyr Invites Tenders.
The Merthyr Tydfil U.D.C., to whose intentions we last referred in our issue of the 24th March, is now inviting tenders for the supply of a combined motor fire-engine and firstaid machine, with engine of 50 li.p., a delivery capacity of not less than 3-50 gallons of water per minute, and a lift of at least 25 ft. Further particulars may be obtained from the Chief Constable, and tenders must be lodged, on or before the 1st prox., with the Town Clerk. The Southport Town Council, at its meeting of last week, confirmed the recommendation of its Watch Committee, which was fully reported in our last issue (page 397 ante), and placed an order for a motor fire-engine (turbine pump) with Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford.
The Berlin Fire Brigade. .
Our Berlin correspondent writes:— " Branddirektor Reichel has courteously sent me the latest annual report of the Berlin Fire Brigade, which covers the year ended 31st March. It is a capitally-printed publication of 98 pages, and contains several interesting illustrations. Herr Reichel begins the report by setting forth particulars concerning the brigade's selfpropelled vehicles, which consist of four electric sets of as many units, a petrol staff-car for himself, half-a-dozen officers' petrol cars, and an electric wagon for practising purposes, i.e., '14 automobiles in all. The brigade's equine stock number 136. and but for the all-motor stations they would now number 174; ergo, 38 horses have been displaced. In the present report we get no accounts of working costs, which, he
tells us, will appear next year, as some of the automobile sets are of recent introduction. On pp. 10 and 11, he emphasizes the necessity of officers' voiturettes, such as those already acquired, which develop 18 lep. These cars enable the officers to proceed rapidly to the scene of a fire and make• preliminary arrangements, facilitate the inspection of stations, etc.; further, they can be used for the transport of oxygen-inhalers, ambulancecases, and, at a pinch, for injured persons. Branddirektor lteichel's own car is a powerful Untertiirkheine Daimler, with a landaulet-limousine body, which carries five persons, exclusive of driver and attendant. Three Osram lamps light up the interior. One of its practical fitments is a telephone apparatus, which he can connect up, by a short cable, with any public fire-alarm; hence, no matter where he may happen to be driving, he remains practically in touch with
headquarters. These facts serve to demonstrate what a " live " fire-brigade officer Berliners possess in Branddirektor Reichel. I could bring forward further proofs of his up-todateness. but these would hardly come within the scope of Tire COMMERCIAL Moron, so I forbear. He keeps hammering away, introducing improvement after improvement in all departments of the brigade, his chief aim being, of course, the gradual motorize-. tion of the stations."