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SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1948 'THE DAILY TIMES-GAZETTE" PAGE THIRTEEN Oshawa Fire Department Is An Efficient Organization Believing that the public are interested in the duties of the Fire Department, the Times-Gazette today publishes a feature by Mickey Carlton . , . the result of his visit to the department is here recorded in word and pictures, BY MICKEY CARLTON Staff Reporter E appeal to watch a fire is universal and the wailing of fire sirens comes as the starting gun for several hundred people to rush to the scene of the conflagration. , For hours they watch with open mouths and gasps of ! -excitement the crackling flames and crumbling building un- The Times- Gazette Camera Records 'Firemen During "il there is nothing more to see. /They Yarn their backs on the charred embers and black destructioniand head for home to talk to the neighbors about the "big fire." For them the thrills are over, the damage has been done, interest wanes and it's all over for another day. This is the story of what takes place behind the scenes in the fire department when the brigade is not battling the forces of flaming destruction. You may be reading this story in the comfort of your home, in a busy office, a crowded bus, riding down in an elevator or over coffee in a restaurant. While you read, "a force of men plan and train for your protection, men who { may have to put out the blaze , in your house before total destruction left you desti- tute, who rescued little Jimmy when he got his arm , caught in the wringer, appli- ed artificial respiration that . saved sister's life when they dragged her from the lake or put out the fire in your car ' when you dropped a cigarette butt behind the cushions. These men wear the uniform of the Oshawa Fire Depart- nent. | Rigid Instruction Period 'The uniform they wear represents more than the fact that they are qualified to fight any blaze that breaks out, any time and at any W. R. ELLIOTT Fire Chief place. For as firemen they are faced with an all-the-time job of keep- ing constantly alert to the ever- changing developments in the pro- gram of fire and accident protec- tion. For them, the job is not re- stricted to just keeping an ear on the alarm. For the men of the Osh- awa Fire Department it is a matter of an ear for the alarm and an eye for the rigorous training program. Every day men of the brigade gather as a group to learn a little more about -their occupation or to brush up on courses taken before. One such course is the classification of fires and men are told and shown how to classify and combat a class "A" "B" or "C" fire. A class "A" fire, they are told, may be no worse than a "B" or "C" but the cause varies and the treat- ment accordingly. "A" for an or- dinary fire requiring extinction with ater, "B" a gasoline fire or one ting from some such inflam- flable material, "C" electrical fires. So they move along, gathering in groups about the fire hall, a first aid course here, incorporating the St. John's ambulance instruction, artificial respiration training there, and physical training somewhere else. Toughened For Task Once a mentn is the general training period when firemen are put through their paces in an ex- tensive schedule of fire drill. The course includes hose laying, operation of the booster tank, net jumping, climbing, ladder work, electrical training, driving and city map reading. The course may last two or three days and during this time men are toughened up and prepared for any emergency. Working on the theory that clean- liness makes for efficiency, the fire department is 'kept scrupulously clean and equipment is constantly being polished and shined, dusted and washed, painted and varnished. Daily inspections by officers assure this work being kept up to rigid re- quirements, The department is self support- Ing in way of repairs, and with the exception of major = mechanical break-downs operate without out- Oshawa Firemen Keep Equipment In Good Shape Equipment which must not fail at the crucial moment is cleaned, pol- ished, repaired and tested daily to assure certain trouble-free perform- ance at the moment the fire call comes. All members of the Oshawa fire department take great pride in keeping their equipment speckless and operating at peak efficiency. Groups are assigned by the officer on duty to tackle the many and varied jobs about the station. Speed and accuracy are guaranteed the moment the call for help is registered at the department. Smooth performance is certain due to the repeated rehearsals for the real thing, Here, the main pumper goes out One important phase in the intensive firemen's training program is the first ald course with instruction under Dept. Chief Ray Hobbs, Firemen Jack Stacey, Les Little, George Arkwright, Harry Peacock, Greg. Brady, Leo Smith, Art Lowden working on vietim Gordon Harris, and Capt. E. M. Ostler, right, Firemen Constantly Alert For 'Fire Bugs' in Oshawa Confronting every officer of the |before the blaze?" fire department is the constant|was the insurance?" "How threat of arson, Blazes are set some- | Mr. G. live there?" times for financial gain, sometimes | Nights later still another blaze by pyromaniacs and it is the duty | lights up the sky and investigators of Chief Wesley R.- Elliott and his | hurry to the scene to mingle with "How much long did side assistance. Many of the men |officers to endeavour to uncover |the crowds and watch for the tell- are qualified tradesmen in other lines and their knowledge and skill are constantly being recruited to iid with some problem within the department. 23 Miles of Wire An important phase of fire de- Jartment work is maintaining and servicing the 23 miles of electric wire which constitute the fire alarm em throughout the city. Huge chboards and complicated met- in the control room need con- tant Surveillance by electrician darry Peacock. This service must be fept in perfect working order, ready 0 transmit the pulsating current hat relays to the hall the urgent pessage for help. | Wherever you are, 24 hours a day, jour property and your personal fety Are guarded by the men of e hawa fire brigade who stand dy to pit their skill, courage and termination against the forces of ire in the interests of the citizens { Oshawa. { the cause of every fire. | tale sign of the pyromaniac, the In the majority of cases the ans~ | glassy stare and twisted smile. wer comes "faulty electrical wir-| Inspectors know that the "fife ing," "over heated pipes," "lighted |bug" is the first on the scene, the cigarette", "internal combustion" or | hardest worker In l...pinz to quell "explosion." But now and then a |the blaze, the last to leave . the question mark looms up ahead of |scene, and the loudest in condem- the investigators. Every avenue of | ing such wanton destruction. reasoning has been traced, every The inspection of the huge crowd angle checked, but on the official | proves fruitless, no one answering questionnaire, under the heading |the "fire bugs" description can be "Cause of fire," a black question | located on the scene, but those in mark has been drawn in, { charge are satisfied that this was Several days later in the same another case of arson and failure to area as that in which the fire of [uncover the cause of the fire con- unknown origin broke out, another, firms their belief. more devastating blaze occurs and |. The search for the pyromaniac the same question of what started | goes on; the hunters are joined by it goes unanswered. trained investigators from the fire The chief and his officers, work- | underwriters association and spot- ing in close conjunction with the |ters are placed in the shadows Ontario Fire Marshal's office, in-| about the building in the affected tensity their Investigation and in |area. . are area of the fires lengthy ques-| Night after night watchers wait tions are asked of the residents. under cover of the shadows, wait "On the night of the fire did you|and watch for the prowler ashe notice anyone about the- building 'slips by on his mission of madness: Daily Routine Duties on a trial run. Note the fireman caught by the cameraman in mid-air as | Firemen must learn the art of jumping into safety nets from towering buildings and once a month insiructiom he jumps for the truck. Constant map reading has familiarized drivers | in this phase of training takes place at the Oshawa Fire hall. A mistake in timing can result in a brokem with every portion of the city and they know the shortest possible route | back or limbs and the proper method of landing is dem onstrated. Hour: after hour slips away, guards are changed and the vigilance con- tinues. In the early hours, of the mom- ing a "rustle of bushes behind" a large two-storey barn attracts the | spotters' attention, Muscle tense, eyes alert, guards peer into the darkness, uncertain, but hopeful | that this would' be the answer to | the @ndless wait. The darkened outline of a man gently breaks through the under- | brush .and darts away into the | shadows behind the barn. Investi- | gators battle the impulse to race after their man and wait: silently in hiding. Minutes tick by and the silence is broken only by the gentle swish | of the wind through the branches of the trees. Their hearts pound as | they wait for the tell-tale puff of | smoke that will tell the maniac has | begun his work. Minutes that seem . like hours drag by until the eventful moment arrives. Then it happens and the | department's well oiled machinery starts turning. 'The puff of smoke | billows from one of the lower win- | dows, the spotters charge across the | ground to the barn, followed by | firemen with chemical equipment ready to quell the blaze before it] gaing a foothold, they close in on |§ their man, the game is up. | On. the 'official report the ques- | tion mark after the hedding "Cause of fire", is removed and in red ink | is written the word "Arson." Such was the case of arson in the | : ity - Road - ares, - several - years ago | . M th edar Dale station take training on the "greased pole". Speed | Here inspector Arkwright points out to staff writer a pile or rubbish lefé hiro din dl the poh is pride jroo R. Boivin, top, H. Taylor, | carelessly behind a storekeeper's building. Usually businessmen coe landing, and E. Stacey pulling on his coat. : operate with the inspectors in removing fire hazards. 'They Put Out the Fires BUT... WE PAY THE LOSSES You Too Can Insure With MURDOCH 23 Simcoe St, N: (Over Eaton's) Phone 2928J General Insurance Service