Report of the city of Somerville 1929, Part 12

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1929
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 438


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1929 > Part 12


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25


Somerville Avenue


Near Elm Street


Denis I. Crimmings Day Labor


Clay


8'-11"


8" Portland Pipe


276.0'


46.34


5 02


0.32


0.07


0.0


5.81


Mystic Avenue Nortbeasterly Side Sewer


Near Middlesex Avenue


Opposite Austin Street


Denis I. Crimmings Day Labor


Clay


12'-0"


[10"-8" Portland Pipe


715.7'|


Combination


116.50


4.23


0.29


0.08


0.22


5.20


3,721.67


3,721.67


Mystic Avenue Storm Drain


Near Middlesex Avenue


Opposite Austin Street


Denis I. Crimmings Day Labor


Clay


7'-6"


10" Portland Pipe


696.5'


See Sewer


See Sewer


2


2.03


0.31


0.05


0.03


2.35


1,636.05


1,636.05


Mystic Avenue Metropolitan Connection


Oppos. New Hampshire Ave.


Denis I. Crimmings Day Labor


Clay


17'-6"


10" Portland Pipe


20,5


46.35


0.36


46.71


976.29


976.29


Alewife Brook Parkway and Dilboy Field Storm Drain


Near North Street


Near Centre Dilboy Field


Filling and Hard Pan


24"-18" Portland Pipe


420.0'


1


43.00


3.47


0.76


0.11


0.12


4.48


1,881.49


1,881.49


Private Lands (Polly Swamp Outlet) Storm Drain


Near Lowell Street Bridge Over B. & L. Div., B. & M. R. R.|


Near Princeton Street


Denis I. Crimmings Day Labor


Sand and Clay


7'-6""


30" Portland Pipe


266.5'


2


40.33


11.28


1.89


0.15


0.09


8.25


2,200.88


2,200.88


Private Lands Storm Drain


North Union Street


W'ly to First National Stores 1


First National Stores


Private Lands Storm Drain Outlet Re- construction


Shore Drive


Mystic River


City -- Day Labor


Filling and Clay


16" Corrugated Iron Pipe


68.0'


8.19


1.49


0.38


10.00


684.12


684.12


*Tannery Brook Storm Drain


Clarendon Avenue


Alewife Brook Parkway


Denis I. Crimmings


Filling and Clay


6"


1088.0'


4


31.03


32


18.04


0.61


13.81


0.88


0.09


34.11


*$11,118.23


¡$25,942.54


* Constructed in Cambridge by City of Somerville according to agreement. Cambridge to pay 30% of cost.


$53,853.55


$14.839.90


$39,013.65


Length of sewers added to system, 1929


1,461.1 3,318.0 Length of storm drains added to system, 1929


68.0 Length of storm drains reconstructed in 1929


1.088 0


Length of storm drain built in Cambridge (Tannery Brook)


5,935.1


Total, 1.1241 miles


Total length of public sewers in the city Jan. 1st, 1930. Total length of private sewers in the city Jan. 1st, 1930.


Total length of sewers in the city Jan. 1st, 1930.


Total length of storm drains in the city Jan. 1st, 1930.


Total length of city drainage system Jan. Ist, 1930.


Total length of Metropolitan sewer mains in the city Jan. 1st, 1930.


18,348.0 ft.


526,350.7 ft. 34,896.0 ft 561,246.7 ft. 97,006.6 ft. 658,253.3 ft.


99.6874 miles


6.6091 miles


106.2966 miles, including 36.7822 miles separate system. 18.3723 miles


124.6691 miles 3.4750 miles


Excavation Pipe Laying and Refilling


Pipe, Cement, etc.


including


and


Average Cost


per Linear Foot


$37,060.77


5'-6ª


Two Lines of 54" Concrete Pipe |1088.0'


1225.0'


8


Filling and Clay


John F. Kennedy for


18"-15"-12"-8" Akron Pipe


1


Denis I. Crimmings Day Labor


4'.3"


46.34


8


Northeasterly Side


or


223


CITY ENGINEER


CREDIT


Appropriation


$20,300 00


Balance unexpended (1928)


661 88


Service Transfers and Credits


357 83


Materials on hand Dec. 31, 1928


554 70


Total


$21,874 41


Balance unexpended


1,478 66


TANNERY BROOK STORM WATER DRAIN CREDIT


Appropriation


$35,000 00


Service Transfer


4 88 $35,004 88


EXPENDITURES


Engineering and inspection $ 851 74


14 64


Moving materials and clearing up


Labor


$49 34


Truck


27 00


76 34


Backfill and grading


9 76


Trucking


12 00


Contract (D. I. Crimmings)


15,485 00


Pipe and fittings


$554 74


Labor hauling pipe


7 58


Truck hauling pipe


10 50


572 82


Construction of manholes


Frames and grates


$56 92


Manhole steps


23 47


Setting in extra steps.


16 73


97 12


Printing and advertising


122 30


Lumber


99 60


Cement (credit received later)


4 88


I beams and expended metal reinforcing


61 55


Stakes


2 85


Catch Basin Frames and Grates


15 00


Burlap used on underdrain


10 00


Cost to city in 1929


$17,435 60


Balance unexpended


$17,569 28*


*Bills amounting to $6,999.19 to be paid in 1930.


-


Labor digging test holes


Twelve new sewers and storm drains were constructed totaling in length 4779.1 feet and one storm drain 68.0 feet long was reconstructed, aggregating 4847.1 feet (0.9171 mile) the work being done in part by day labor and the remainder by percentage contract. In addition to the foregoing the open


ANNUAL REPORTS


channel portion of Tannery Brook in Cambridge, a length of 1088 feet, was replaced with two lines of concrete pipe, the construction being done by Somerville. (See tabular state- ment of sewers and storm drains built in 1929 showing item- ized account of work.)


Total length of city's drainage system 124.6691 Miles Cost of construction to date (including catch basins)


$1,651,489 00


Assessments for Metropolitan sewerage system, 1929


(City's proportional cost)


Total paid Commonwealth of Massachusetts for state


105,517 78.


sewer 1892-1929, inclusive


$2,469,549 63


Total length of Metropolitan sewerage system mains


running through this city


17 connections, in Somerville, with Metropolitan sewer- age mains. Also 4 connections through Medford and one connection through Cambridge. Locations of city's mains connecting with state sewer in 1912 report, and details of construction in previous re- ports.


3.475 miles


New catch basins constructed in city's highways, 1929. ... Total catch basins maintained by sewer division. ... Other catch basins-State Highway, Metropolitan Park, Boston Elevated Railway, etc. 274


26


2,037


Total catch basins in the city for storm drainage pur-


2,311 poses


Sump manholes on drainage system 138


The separate sewerage system should be extended each year to assist in the ultimate separation of sewerage and storm water which the Metropolitan District Commission is striving to accomplish. The growing tendency to occupy all land to its fullest extent with houses, garages, granolithic drives and walks, combined with the paved or bituminous streets which prevail, has reduced the soakage area to the extent that the consequent increased run-off during storms is a heavy tax upon the capacity of the sewers. It is therefore advisable to extend the storm drain system as fast as finances permit, par- ticularly in the North Somerville District into Two Penny Brook. West Somerville District into Tannery Brook, and Win- ter Hill District into the Mystic River, thus relieving the com- bined sewerage system of much surface water. The city's drain- age problems will be simplified with every move in this direc- tion. The territory in general west of Cedar Street drains to Alewife Brook through a tributary known as Tannery Brook which has been replaced by pipe and concrete conduits. Part of this construction was done in 1896 when a length of 3200 feet, about 200 feet being in Cambridge, was built from Davis Square to Clarendon Avenue. The remaining open brook, from Clar- endon Avenue to Alewife Brook Parkway, has been the cause


225


CITY ENGINEER


of much complaint from the nearby residents and in con- sequence an agreement was made by the cities of Somerville- and Cambridge to construct the storm drain and apportion the cost as follows: Somerville to pay 70% and Cambridge 30%, Somerville to perform the work. This was done in the Fall of 1929 at a cost of $37,060.77.


MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT, STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURES, 1929


Labor and inspection


$17,607 40


Teaming


5,708 25


Maintenance of trucks


887 81


Equipment, supplies and repairing property.


7,703 88*


Total


$31,907 34


* Includes cost of two Ford trucks costing respectively $1,132 and $1,152; also catch basin cleaning machine casting $4,500.


CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURES


Maintenance of Sewers, including cleaning


$ 6,497 27


flushing, supervision, etc. (124.6691 miles) Maintenance of Catch Basins, cleaning and flushing, supervision, etc (2026) 13,746 19


Maintenance of Storm Water Pump, Medford Street Underpass


307 60


Changing line and grade and repairing man- holes


358 78


Changing line and grade and repairing catch basins


972 61


Repairing old sewers and storm drains


1,040 43


Reconstruction and repairing tide-gates and


floats in chambers, on storm drains and sewers


..


Inspection and location of House drains


383 33


Labor, teaming, materials, other departments and divisions


645 25


Equipment and supplies


7,184 59


Repairs of tools and property


92 27


Maintenance of Sewer Division Yards (2)


605 96


Telephones (2)


73 06


Total expenditure


$31,907 34


CREDIT


Appropriation


$31,375 00


Credits


556 96


Total


31,931 96


Balance unexpended


$24 62


226


ANNUAL REPORTS


A permanent force of men, varying in number from eight to thirteen, and hired teams, are kept continually at work, flushing, cleaning and repairing the city's drainage system, including catch basins, the expense necessarily increasing yearly as sewers, storm drains and catch basins are added to the system, and the distance increased to the dumping places, only two of which are available at present.


The scarcity of dumping places has confronted the city for some time and various schemes have been considered for efficient and economical methods of disposal but no plan has been adopted.


Cubic yards of material removed from catch basins and hauled to dumps 4711


Average cost per cubic yard (including depreciation of equipment) $ 3 38 Average annual cost, cleaning, flushing and general main- tenance per basin 6 78


Average annual cost, cleaning and flushing drainage sys-


tem, including catch basins, per mile .. 162 38


Average number of catch basins to a mile of roadway ........ 21


A motor-driven catch basin cleaning machine and two light trucks were purchased in 1929. This new apparatus is satisfactory in operation and economy. At present this depart- ment owns four light trucks, a tractor for rolling and plowing snow and the above-mentioned catch basin cleaning machine.


The drainage system, built as required by the growth of the city, is composed of units of different type and age. Re- pairs, additions and alterations due to deterioration or chang- ing conditions are necessary very frequently.


One hundred and fifty-three permits have been issued for private drain connections from buildings to sewers or storm drains; fifty-five of these being for repairs, alterations or ex- tensions. All work is done subject to inspection by this depart- ment.


Many of the repairs and alterations were made necessary by the growth of tree roots into the private drain pipe. In several cases, these private drains were relaid with iron pipe and lead joints ; which type of construction is recommended by this department in districts where trees are found.


Only persons that are licensed as drainlayers by the city and have given satisfactory bonds are permitted to lay and re- pair private drains.


227


CITY ENGINEER


· Data concerning each drain connection with the public sewer is on file in this office, and time and expense could be saved by the owner, by applying directly to this department for investigation and advice, where trouble exists.


Many car track catch basins and underground conduit manholes built by public service corporations have been con- nected with the city's drainage system.


There are to date about 18,340 private drain connections with the city's drainage system.


A better system of grease traps should be installed in the premises of some of the larger manufacturing plants and ren- dering companies to prevent large amounts of grease and waste products from escaping into city sewer mains and partially blocking sections of sewers as has occured at various times.


PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS DIVISION


This division has the control and maintainence of seven- teen parcels of land, (about 75 acres) laid out as parks and recreation playgrounds in about equal proportions.


These areas if completely developed would compare fav- orably with other cities in the vicinity.


MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS, STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURES, 1929


Playgrounds


Parks


$8,361 84 Labor


$8,253 73


336 75 Teamnig


253 00


859 76 Equipment and supplies


241 32


110 64 Repairing tools and property


515 72*


234 42 Fountains and Bubblers Maintenance (Paid Water Dept. $227 48 and $144 79)


147 79


Trees, Shrubs, Plants, Floral Decorations, trimming and spraying trees, etc.


2,866 67+


Flags, flagpoles, painting, etc.


693 691


Repairing roadways and walks


253 47


Fences, gates, steps, etc. (maint. and const.)


262 32


1,291 24 Fences, seats, grandstands, 'backstops, etc. (maint. and const.)


327 00 Fence, Joy St. Playground


477 90 Fence, Richard Trum Playground


1,470 33


Fence, Dilboy Field


700 00


Concrete footing course Dilboy Field


35 00


Transferred to other appropriations


Special equipment for tractor


950 00


Cutting down trees, planting new trees, etc.,


Powder House Boulevard


2,393 21


228


ANNUAL REPORTS


Reconstruction of driveway in front of Public Library


1,482 11


$14,204 88


Totals $18,313 03


*Includes $247 for cleaning monument Central Hill.


¡Includes planting new trees $772.


#Includes $400 for moving, repairing and resetting flag pole Central Hill Park; also $200 for new flag pole erected complete Prospect Hill Park.


CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURES


Recreation Playgrounds Central Hill Park (13.1 acres)


Parks $5,532 80


$ 24 40


1,898 56 Foss Park (formerly Broadway Park) (15.9 acres ) Broadway Parkway (1.6 acres)


2,129 32


3,151 81


Lincoln Park (7.2 acres)


917 34


136 05


Prospect Hill Park (2.6 acres)


2,523 00


127 85 Tufts Park (4.5 acres)


2,330 03


Paul Revere Park (0.02 acres)


58 40


46 79 Belmont Street Park (0.4 acres)


351 17


Powder House Boulevard (0.9 mile long)


3,712 14


Powder House Square Parkway


11 80


Cemetery, Somerville Avenue (0.7 acre)


143 23


5,219 63 Dilboy Field (15.2 acres)


2,232 50 Richard Trum Playground (4.3 acres)


32 09


66 19 Playground, Glen Street and Oliver Street (2.3 acres)


201 93 Playground, Kent Street and Somerville


Avenue (0.8 acre)


43 24


377 34 Playground, Poplar Street and Joy Street


71


239 02 Woods Playground, corner Elm Street, Cher- ry Street and Sartwell Avenue (2.1 acres)


48 66


373 25


Shaw Playground, Broadway at Western Junior High School (2.8 acres) Charges other Depts. and Divs.


23 12


74 56


$14,169 88 35 00


Transferred to other appropriations


$14,204 88


Total expenditures, maintenance (74.92 acres) 74.22 acres parks and playgrounds, 0.7 acre cemetery and 0.9 mile boulevard, and 0.54 mile parkway roads.


CREDIT


Recreation Playgrounds


Appropriation for Parks


Parks $18,400 00


$14,700 00 Appropriation for Playgrounds


67 24 Service Transfers


$14.767 24


Total Credit


$18,400 00


$ 562 36


Balance unexpended


$ 86 97


IMPROVEMENT OF PLAYGROUNDS


Playground Foss Park (about 5.5 acres north- erly end Foss Park)


$18,313 03


(0.5 acre)


214 58


241 40


229


CITY ENGINEER


CREDIT


Unexpended balance (1928) $ 880 04


Balance unexpended Dec. 31, 1929 (no expenditures having been made)


$880 04


John M. Woods Playground (Elm St., Cherry St. and Sartwell Ave.)


CREDIT


Unexpended balance (1928)


$1,000 00


Balance unexpended Dec. 31, 1929 (no expenditures having been made ....


$1,000 00


Improvement Walter Ernest Shaw Playground


EXPENDITURES


Labor, grading and seeding; placing signs, etc. $ 47 42


CREDIT


Unexpended balance (1928) 1,093 23


$1,045 81


Balance unexpended Dec. 31, 1929.


Assessments for Metropolitan parks and boulevards (City's proportional cost) $80,633 66 Total paid Commonwealth of Massachusetts-Metropoli- tan Park System, to January 1, 1930. 1,578,852 42 Total length Metropolitan boulevard in Somerville 2.33 miles


All of the city's playfield areas have been in constant use throughout the year ;- special supervision was provided by the Welfare and Recreation Commission during the months of July and August especially for the children's activities, to make the playgrounds popular and successful ; an exhibition on Trum Field featured the closing of the summer work.


At the athletic field bordering Alewife Brook the outdoor runing track has been very popular and the enclosed area might be used as a wading pool if a cement floor was installed. The remaining area should be graded as soon as finances permit. The playing surface of Dilboy Field has deteriorated badly due principally to settlement in the filling where Alewife Brook was straightened.


The city has become so densely populated (averaging near- ly 25,000 people a square mile) that some of the larger park areas should be more extensively utilized for public recreation and physical training purposes. On several of the play fields concrete buildings should be constructed, additional apparatus and shelters provided and some of the smaller playground areas should be enclosed by wire fencing for protection.


230


ANNUAL REPORTS


In certain localities of the city well-lighted playgrounds should be maintained during the summer evenings for the young men and women who are obliged to work in the day time.


Previous reports are respectfuly referred to for suggest- ions and recommendations for improvement of park and play- ground areas.


The Recreation Commission and various other public and private organizations have been of great assistance in advising and promoting the progress of this division.


(See City Auditor's report for total expenditure by city departments and commissions for recreation and play the past year.)


In closing this report I feel that attention should be called to the fact that the writer did not have charge of the Depart- ment during any part of the year covered by this report.


Respectfully submitted,


PHILIP P. WELCH, City Engineer.


FIRE DEPARTMENT


231


REPORT OF CHIEF ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT


Somerville, Mass., 31, 1930.


To the Honorable, the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen :-- Gentlemen :-


In compliance with the City Ordinance; I have the honor of submitting for your information the Annual Report of the Fire Department for the year ending December 31, 1929.


Alarms and Losses


Number of Bell Alarms


365


Number of Still Alarms.


663


Total Alarms


1,028


Number in excess of 1928 109


Value of Buildings at risk


$2,928,345 00


Insurance on Buildings at risk


4,362,445 00


Damage to Buildings


166,020 58


Value of Contents


369,095 00


Insurance on Contents.


274,241 14


Damage to Contents.


67,845 35


Total value at risk


3,241,270 00


Total damage


234,895 93


Approximate per capita loss.


2 34


Classification of Causes of Alarms


Automobiles


129


Chimney fires


69


Bonfires


82


Careless smoker


58


Rubbish


40


Dump fires


25


Smoke and steam mistaken for fire.


22


Sparks on shingle roof


35


False alarms


23


Undetermined


30


Children playing with matches.


32


Defective furnaces and heaters.


26


Grass fires


49


Fireworks and Firecrackers


16


Hot ashes in wooden receptacles


13


Awning fires


11


Electric appliances and wires


56


Out of town


112


Miscellaneous


83


Defective oil heaters


13


Spontaneous combustion


17


Cigarettes


34


Wooden receptacles too near heaters.


13


Food and clothes on stove


40


1028


232


ANNUAL REPORTS


Manual Force


The manual force consists of one hundred and forty (140) permanent men ; during the year the Chief, a Captain and one of the permanent men has been retired and placed on the Pen- sion list and six have been added from the eligible list of the Civil Service.


The roster of the Department is as follows :-


1 Deputy Chief (Acting Chief)


2 District Chiefs


7 Captains


1 Master Mechanic


15 Lieutenants


1 Engineman


113 Permanent men


Apparatus'


On September 12th an Ahrens-Fox Combination Wagon equipped with a Booster Pump was placed in service at Union Square Station to be used as a tender for Engine 3.


The apparatus is as follows :-


1 Motor driven 1,300 Pump and Hose Wagon;


1 Motor driven 1,000 gallon Pump and Hose wagon;


1 Motor driven 900 gallon Pump and Hose wagon;


2 Motor driven 750 gallon Pump Hose wagon and chemical;


2 Motor driven Hose wagon and Booster Pump;


4 Motor driven Combination hose and chemical wagons;


1 Motor driven Combination Ladder Truck and chemical;


2 Motor driven Tiller Steering Ladder Trucks;


1 Motor driven Tiller steering 75 ft. Aerial Ladder Truck; 1 Automobile Buick Sedan, Chief's car;


1 Automobile Deputy Chief's car;


1 Automobile District Chief's car;


1 Automobile Master Mechanic's car;


1 Automobile Service and supply car ;


1 Relief Wagon Combination hose and chemical.


Hose


The present amount of serviceable hose is 9,650 feet of two and one half (21/2) inch double jacketed rubber lined water hose and 2,200 feet of three quarter inch and one inch Chemical hose. There has been 1000 feet of new two and one half inch hose purchased in October which was immediately placed in service. At present there is 1500 feet of two and one half inch hose and 300 feet of Chemical hose which is condemmed for fire duty.


1929


Engine 1


Engine 2


Engine 3


Engine 4


Hose 5


Engine 6


Hose 7


Ladder 1


Ladder 2


Ladder 3


Ladder 4


Totals


Bell alarms


265


233


219


118


85


52


120


130


126


31


139


365


Still alarms


99


163


102


35


56


99


57


14


15


9


14


663


Miles traveled


485


347


409


137


160


221


286


156


161


118


312


2,792


Feet of Hose used


20,800


40,400


22,900


12,300


12,600


10,250


9,950


129,200


Chemical Hose


11,600


18,500


22,700


7,900


5,250


9,000


11,500


650


87,100


Feet of Ladders


54


40


40


80


3,871


2,861


1,354


2,647


10,947


Extinguishers


14


18


31


22


20


6


16


2


5


1


6


141


Gals. of Chemical


3,080


2,129


1,268


840


1,885


153


9,355


Covering


1


8


7


16


Out of town


6


39


9


5


43


3


1


2


108


Covers used


6


2


6


23


3


3


43


..


FIRE DEPARTMENT


233


234


ANNUAL, REPORTS


Recommendations


It is imperative that a new station and location be pro- cured and built for Engine Co. No. 4 at the Corner of Grove Street and Highland Avenue. The building is 50 years old and is impossible of remodelling both as to construction and approach.


A new Station and location be procured and built for Hose Co. No. S at or in the vicinity of Winter Hill, to provide adequate protection for the fast growing development in that section and to replace the Station abandoned some 8 years ago.


A Pumping Engine capacity 1000 gallons, Wagon with Booster Pump to be used as tender, an aerial Ladder Truck with an 85 foot Extension, 3 Light Autos for the use of the Deputy Chief and the District Chiefs, 2 Deck Guns, 1 Formon Generator, 2 Baker Cellar Pipes, 25 Gas Masks, 6 Rubber Covers, 2 Searchlights, 5 Rectifiers, 5 Lieutenants to be pro- mcted to Captain and new Badges for Officers, 12 additional permanent men.


In Conclusion


In concluding this report, I desire to express my ap- preciation to His Honor, Mayor Conwell and to the Board of Aldermen also to all other City Officials who have in any way co-operated with this department.


I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Offi- cers and members of the' Department for their efficiency and loyalty to the Department.


Respectfully submitted,


JOSEPH A. CRIBBY, Chief Engineer.


235.


FIRE DEPARTMENT


FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU


Union Square Station


January 1, 1923


Joseph A. Cribby, Chief Engineer, Somerville Fire Department,


Somerville, Massachusetts.


Sir :-


I have the honor to submit herewith my sixth annual. report of the Fire Prevention Bureau of the Somerville Fire Department for the year ending December 31, 1929.


The following shows in part the activities of the Bureau :


Original inspections 2779 Follow-up re-inspections 1146


Total inspections 3925


Of the 2779 original inspections, it was necessary to issue- 569 written notices to correct violations of the Department of Public Safety Regulations and remove conditions that were a menace to the Public Safety. The different mercantile and manufacturing establishments, garages, theaters, storage warehouses, apartment and tenement houses, and the cellars- of some of the private dwellings throughout the city have been inspected. When ever hazardous or unlawful conditions exist- ed, they were remedied by the owners or occupants by verbal requests or written notices.


Conditions over which the fire department had no control were reported to either the Building Commissioner, Wire Commissioner, Board of Health or the Gas Companies.


There were 82 permits issued for the retail sale of fire- works. These premises were inspected several times while the fireworks were on sale and the Department Regulations were enforced.


There were several dilapidated buildings that were a menace, torn down and removed, that were reported by the- inspectors. Broken doors and windows have been boarded up or otherwise secured against illegal trespassers on other un- used buildings.


236


ANNUAL REPORTS


A recapitulation of the 23,409 inspections made since the establishing of a Fire Prevention Bureau follows :-


Year


Original Inspections


Follow-up Re-inspections


Notices Issued


1924 ...


1.936


1,690


840


1925


.......... ...


1,536


974


460


1926


3,817


2,109


1,041


1927


2,859


1,042


516


1928


2,634


887


439


1929


2,779


1,146


569


Total


15,561


7,848


3,865


As it is proposed to detail members of the department to perform full time inspection work, I recommend that a suitable Fire Prevention Inspector's examination be held under Civil Service Rules and all full paid members of the department to be eligible to compete. As it requires months of careful coaching and studying of laws and ordinances to be able to have the ability to judge conditions and render advice on the best method to pursue in the elimination of hazardous conditions, it cannot be expected that men who have had no preparation or any inclination to perfect themselves will ever be able to perform efficient fire prevention duties.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.