HOW MANCHESTER MEETS FIRE MENACE.
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Within 20 Years Risks Have Increased by 20 per cent., but with Motor Pumps Maintenance Costs are Only One-third Those of Horses.
WITHIN the past 20 years the value of -property at risk in fires which have occurred in the city of Manchester has increased by about 90 per cent. to five million-odd pounds. Yet the annual cost of the maintenance of firefighting equipment (motor pumps) is only 'slightly more than one-third the total expenditure on horses in 1009. In that year, when a stable of 33 horses was kept, the cost of harness, provender, shoeing, , purchase of new , horses, etc.,
amounted to £1,500 per annum, whereas the 17 motor vehicles, including turntable escape, motor pumps with escapes and ladders, hose carriages and motor lorries, now in service involve an annual charge of only 1550, which figure covers the cost of fuel, tyres and general maintenance.
Manchester Corporation acquired its first self-propelled units in 1911—a Dennis and a John Morris motor pump, each of 500-gallon capacity. The John Morris pump had a Delsize engine as
poWer unit. In 1913 were added two further John Morris 400-500-gallon motor pumps and a JohnMorris motor hose carriage. In the following year four more John Morris motor pumps of similar capacity strengthened the fleet, and then came a hiatus, caused by the war, until 1917, when a 3-ton Belsize chassis was equipped by Messrs. John Morris and Son with a 350-gallon pump. In 1919, difficulty was experienced in obtaining delivery of standard motor pumps, and development was thus restricted to the addition of two Ford vehicles, both of which still figure in service, one as a lorry and the other as a hose carriage. Since then, two further Ford vehicles have been purchased; the bodies on these fourfold vehicles were constructed in the brigade workshopsThe next purchase was in 1919, when another John Morris four-cylinder 500-gallon motor pump was put in service, followed by a similar unit in the next year. These machines were equipped with a long-stroke engine, which enabled the pumpiiig capacity to be increased to 500-600 gallons of water per minute. (The fourth pump purchased in 1914 also had this long-stroke engine.) The most recent acquisition is a Leyland 85-ft. motor turntable fire escape, a very useful unit at fires in high build
ings, such as warehouses in congested localities. The escape carried by the Leyland vehicle is operated from the driving motor, which directs the three main operations, extending and lowering the escape, adjusting it to any angle,
and turning it on its axle. Amongst the smaller equipment of the brigade is a Leyland portable pump with a capacity of 150 gallons per minute. This is invaluable at farm fires where the approach to burning buildings, etc., is over Soft grounds on which it is difficult for heavy pumping engines to make progress. A frequent use is made of the portable pump in clearing flooded buildings of surplus water, relieving a motor pump from the necessity of standing by.
Thus the mechanically propelled rolling stock of the Manchester fire brigade embraces one petrol motor turntable escape, three petrol motor pumps with escapes, eight motor pumps with ladders, three hose carriages and two motor lorries. This year (1927)the City Council intend to add to the fleet a new 500-gallon motor pump, and tenders are shortly to be invited.
,. By the year 1918, the brigade had only two horses in commission, and the following year these were dispensed with.
The area served by the Manchester Fire Brigade is 25,000 acres, of which 21,960 acres are within tha Manchester City boundary, and 3,239 acres in the district of the Stretford Urban District Council, for which the Manchester Corporation is the protecting authority. The population of the combined district is about 800,000.
The headquarters of the Manchester Fire Brigade is not situated so centrally as might be desired, but in various parts of the city, at distances of from 2 to 2i miles, is a series of six divisional stations. Thus, except in the residential districts, any fire which occurs is within 14 miles of the nearest fire station. Negotiations are now proceeding for the extension of the Manchester City boundaries, and if these mature, an acreage of 6,000 will be added to the responsibilities of the brigade, whose need for additional stations and equipment will then become manifest.
Taking the area in its entirety there is only one direction in which a fire may occur that would involve What is relatively a long journey for the fire engine. That is towards 'Asbury, where the extreme point is four miles distant from the nearest station.
The use of hand fire escapes was long ago dispensed with, solely for the reason that when outbreaks occurred, the motor fire engine, even though it had to travel about a mile or more, was generally on the spot before the handpropelled escape. An expeditious call is facilitated by an extensive system of fire alarm boxes throughout the city. In the Manchester City area there are over 200 street alarms, on the Manchester Ship Canal estate 25, in the Stretford district 9, telephone fire alarms direct to headquarters without going through the telephone exchange 36, telephone fire alarms direct to district stations 9.
In the central area of the city, and especially in the district where the cotton and cotton-cloth warehouses are
situated, a street alarm is always within convenient reach (in most instances, within five minutes' walk), being spaced about a quarter of a mile from the next. Farther afield, where the risks are less heavy, the separating distances are rathe'T greater, but boxes are erected on the main roads so far as possible. Further street alarms are in course cf erection.
Despite the facility offered by the telephone, Chief Superintendent Arthur R. Corlett believes that the street alarm is the most efficacious method of notifying outbreaks of fire. Manchester prides itself on the accessibility of its fire alarm system, and points to the fact that over 50 per cent, of the calls received are through street boxes.
So far back as the year 1900, the 11flanchester Fire Brigade was interested in the development of the thermostat fire alarm, and there are 58 such connections with the headquarters switchboard. Most of the users of this system are large works, factories and warehouses,
and when a fire does break out, the alarm is given automatically, without any human intervention, by the temperature affecting a registering agent which causes the bell to ring at the station. On the arrival of the brigade at the involved premises, an indicator records the department or floor in jeopardy. When through some other cause than fire, the alarm bell sounds, this fact is indicated on the reception instrument at the station.
At the Manchester Fire Brigade headquarters, eight.motor pumps hose carriages and lorries are housed, In addition to the 85-ft. turntable escape and four hand or trailer escapes. The total quantity of hose available is about 15,000 yards.
The brigade is manned on a two-shift system, 32 firemen and officers being on duty by day and a similar number by night.
Each of the five divisional stations is staffed by 10 men and one by 14 men, whose apparatus in each case comprises one or two motor pumps Or hose carriages with ladders, hand fire escapes with hose, and 1,000 yards to 2.000
yards of hose, so that it is well equipped for quick attack.
The total number of alarms which the brigade received during the year ending December 31st last was 677, a decrease of 42 on the previous year. Of these, 603 were fires and 72 were either false alarms or mere chimney fires. The total loss was estimated at £160,447, and tile value of the property at risk 15,266,435. As compared with the previous year, there was a total decrease of 12,040,453 in the amount at risk and a decrease of £156,878 in the amount of loss, in comparison with the annual average of the past 20 years there was an increase of 124,56'7 in the amount at risk, a decrease of £30,500 in the amount of loss and an increase of 64 in the number of fires attended within the city. The percefitage of loss on the amount of risk was 3 per cent. during 1926, as against 3.4 per cent, for the average of the preceding 10 years.
Roughly 60 per cent. of the fires to which the brigade is called occur be4)27 tween the hourerof 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and an analysis of causes reveals the following three main classifications:— (1) Candles, sparks from fires and hot ashes, 145; (2) carelessly dropped lights, 141, and (3) electricity, 65.
Although a superficial glance at statistical records of the department might lead one to suppose that the reduction in the percentage of loss to property values gives, an index of the efficiency of the brigade, that is hardly a correct surmise. Sometimes a fire has a good hold on the building before the brigade is summoned. There are numerous other explanations, none of which has any connection with the capacity or efficiency of the brigade, but which might very easily make actual figures of loss useless for the purpose of comparison. The highest percentage of loss in the last 20 years was 6.7 in 1907, but during the last 10 years the highest recoril was 5.5 in 1919, and the lowest 2.3 in 1921.
Last year, of the total number of fires in Manchester responded to by the brigade 315 involved losses of under £10; 139 between £10 and £50; 42 between 150 and £100; 29 between £100 and £200; 50 between £200 and £1,000; 19 between £1,000 and 15,000, and 9 from £5,000 to £18,000.
When fires occur on the dock estate, which comes within the administrative jurisdiction of both the Manchester City Council and the Salford City Council. the brigades of both cities turn out. This is the only instance where the Manchester Fire Brigade jointly with another brigade attends fires.
So soon as a fire call is received at the central station an' alarm bell sounds which summon engine crews from all parts of the extensive station premises, and within 30 seconds the first machine will be on its way to the fire—day or night. The usual turnout from the central station comprises two motor pumps, excepting when a fire is notified from the central warehousing area of the city, and then in addition to the two motor pumps, the Leyland turntable escape proceeds to the scene of the conflagration. As to outbreaks in the outside districts, when these are notified from the street alarm boxes, each of which is numbered to correspond to a chart in aach of the divisional stations, it is definitely laid down which stations must and which must not respond. The call also goes through to headquarters.
In addition to the turnout from the divisional station, more often than not, as a precautionary measure, an additional pump is sent from headquarters. By this system, headquarters is kept acquainted at every minute of the day with the available strength at any of the divisional outposts. There are a number of street alarm boxes in warebadge areas, calls for which are responded to by several of the stations, An officer on the first machine to arrive at a fire immediately notifies headquarters as to the extent of the outbreak, so as to facilitate the appearance on the job of sufficient fire-fighting machinery. Manchester has a big area of warehouses hemmed in and honeycombed by very congested approaches. Stocks in the warehouses being inflammable and the risk of Ere spreading to adjacent property being great a turnout of three machines from the central station is the minimum.
Every outbreak, especially if it be located in a warehouse or industrial works, presents its own peculiar problems. Fires arising from combustible materials, chemicals, electrical causes, the ignitiffia of celluloid film, all make demands for men of technical training and wide experience.
"Fires have to be fought at the closest quarters possible," stated Chief Superintendent Corlett, ' " and when a dangerous outbreak occurs it is im
possible to come to close grips by merely standing in the street playing the hose. In quelling the forces 6f destruction, one has to bear in mind not only the possibilities of the fire, but the amount of damage that might be caused by water." Nowadays, more and more use is being made of chemical extinguishers, such as foam, which forms a blanketing between the air and the flames. With cotton fires, the main trouble is with the dense smoke from the smouldering material. Often a big stock of manufactured cotton goods prevents access to the seat of the trouble, and heavy water damage might occur unless precautions are taken. Sometimes rolls of manufactured cotton fabrics have to be thrown or carried into the street, to enable the brigade to get to the root of the trouble.
Like all other upto date provincial fire brigades, the Manchester fire chiefs have lust as much concern for the prevention of fires as for their extinction when they do occur. One of the important subsidiary industries of Manchester is the handling of cinematograph film, and regulations are now enforced for the storage of this highly inflammable commodity in film vaults, built of concrete and ventilated to the outside streets. It is also obligatory on film companies to keep films in metal boxes.
When engaged in night fires of any magillitude. the Manchester Fire Brigade works by the light of acetylene lamps, which give a reflected light of 10,000 candle-power.
Every self-propelled machine in the brigade is equipped with smoke helmets and two 60-ft. lengths of small rubber hose (1-1 ins, outside diameter and I in. bore). As there are always two motor pumps in attendance at all but cottage fires, there is thus available 240 ft. of hose in lengths, easily portable, and which can be used instead of larger canvas hose.At 80 per cent. to 90 per cent, of the fires which occur in the Manchester City area, this small hose is used and is generally sufficient.
Includitig the private car used by the Chief Superintendent, Manchester Fire Brigade has 18 motor Vehicles in service, and the total cost of maintenance, including petrol, tyres, oil; repairs and renewal's, cells for electric batteries, etc., was only about £500 for the municipal year 1920-27. One pair of tyres on one of the 1914 John Morris motor pumps has done service for 13 years, and still has a useful life. Tyro wear on fire engines is not heavy, and the chief deterioration results not through wear, but through the weight of the machine falling for long periods on one part cf the teres and reducing the resiliency.
The brigade undertakes all its own running repairs and overhauls, and after each fire every engine undergoes a thorough and detailed examination. The personnel of the brigade comprises one chief superintendent, one chief inspector, one inspector (engineer), 10 station officers and 113 firemen.