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FIRE DEPART

AND WIRE DTA^TST'ON

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YEAE ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1930

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ANNUAL REPORT

FIEE DEPAETMENT

AND WIRE DIVISION

CITY OF I^OSTON

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, 1933

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PRINTING DEPARTMENT 1934

ANNUAL REPORT

FIKE DEPAETMENT

AND WIRE DIVISION

CITY or BOSTON

YEAE ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1933

CITY OF BOSTON

PRINTING DEPARTMENT

1934

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2010 with funding from

Boston Public Library

http://www.archive.org/details/annualreport1933boston

OFFICIALS OF THE DEPARTMENT.

Edward F. McLaughlin,

Fire Commissioner.

Herbert J. Hickey,

Executive Secretary of the Department.

Henry A. Fox,

Chief of Department.

George L. Fickett,

Superintendent of Fire Alarm Division.

Peter F. Dolan,

Superintendent of Wire Division.

Edward E. Williamson,

Superintendent of Maintenance Division.

Albert J. Caulfield, Deputy Chief in Charge of Fire Prevention Division.

Martin H. Spellman, M. D., Medical Examiner.

[Document 12 — 1934.]

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

I'IRE DEPARTMENT

FOR THE YEAR 1933.

Boston, April 1, 1934.

Hon. Frederick W. Mansfield, Mayor of the City of Boston. Dear Sir, — I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the activities of the Boston Fire Depart- ment for the year ending December 31, 1933, as required by section 24, chapter 4, of the Revised Ordinances of 1925.

Fire Loss.

The total fire loss for the City of Boston, estimated by the insurance companies, amounted to $2,359,806. This is $1,890,362 less than the loss for 1932. This is the lowest fire loss paid in the City of Boston since the year 1912 and shows the effect of the constant and vigilant inspection work being performed by the Fire Department.

In addition, the constant and thorough drive on sus- picious and incendiary fires undoubtedly accounts for a great saving in the fire loss of this city. It was not until 1931 that the Fire Commissioner was authorized by the Legislature to investigate the crime of arson and incendiarism in the City of Boston. When this authority was finally granted, an Arson Unit was created within the Fire Department, under the direc- tion of a deputy chief. A force of investigators was

2 City Document No. 12.

kept on duty twenty-four hours a day and police officers were detailed to assist in the investigations by the Police Commissioner. There are no delays in the investigation of suspicious fires in the City of Boston at the present time.

In connection with this tremendous reduction in the fire loss, it is worthy of mention here that large fires and a heavy fire loss generally accompany a depression in business conditions. While New England, as well as the nation as a whole, has been suffering from the effects of a business depression, it has been possible for the Fire Department of the City of Boston to effect a considerable reduction in the fire loss.

During the year the department .responded to 9,093 alarms, of which 5,496 were box alarms and 3,597 were still and automatic alarms. There were 1,573 false alarms in Boston during the year 1933, an increase of 405 over the year 1932.

Fire Prevention.

As I have already stated, the fire prevention work of the Fire Department has been very diligently per- formed by the inspection force of the Fire Prevention Division, as well as by district and company officers. The effect of this work has been reflected in the great reduction in the fire loss.

During the year all classes of buildings, with the exception of one and two family dwellings, were inspected at regular intervals.

Number of inspections 299,141

Number of reinspections 12,107

Number of complaints, reported 8,217

Number of corrections 24,221

Number of personal inspections by officers of Fire

Prevention Division 2,732

Oil burners inspector 1,916

Total number of inspections and reinspections . 348,334

Reports of hazardous conditions were sent to other departments as follows :

Reports sent to Building Department . . . . 1,211

Reports sent to Health Department .... 3

Reports sent to School Buildings Department . . 3

Personal services by Constable 434

Fire Department.

In addition to the inspections made by the Fire Pre- vention Division, the district and company officers made the following number of inspections :

Building inspections .

Theater inspections .

Schoolhouse inspections

Public buildings

Car House inspections

Deer Island monthly inspections by District 1

Long Island monthly inspections by District 3

65,616

3,944

3,781

833

72

12

12

74,272

Under authority granted the Fire Commissioner, chapter 383, Acts of 1931, to investigate suspicious fires in the City of Boston, every fire in the city which had any aspect of incendiarism was thoroughly investigated by the Fire Prevention Division. These investiga- tions included 107 fires which were reported as of sus- picious origin and 246 which were reported as of unknown or undetermined origin, making a total of 353 investi- gations by the Arson Unit. I submit below a table showing in brief the amount of work done by this unit during the past year :

Number of persons interviewed at Fire Prevention office, 31 Number of hearings held at Fire Alarm Office, Fenway, 35 Number of hearings held, that on account of insufficient

evidence were not presented to District Attorney . .14 Number of hearings presented to District Attorney for

consideration as to prosecution 21

Number of cases arraigned in Municipal Court ... 2

Cases held for Grand Jury 2

Number of cases presented to Grand Jury by District

Attorney 15

(a) Number of cases where indictments were

returned 12

(b) Number of No Bills returned ... 3 Number of cases awaiting action by District Attorney . 6

Number of trials 28

Number of cases — conviction obtained .... 15

Number of persons convicted 20

Number of persons found not guilty 26

Number of persons arrested 25

Number of persons under indictment and awaiting trial . 15

Number of persons summoned at hearings .... 357

(a) Department witnesses 184

(h) Civilian witnesses 172

(c) Interpreters 1

City Document No. 12.

At the present time six members of the Fire Depart- ment are assigned to the Arson Unit, assisted by four poUce officers from Pohce Headquarters.

New Buildings.

A new fire station at 560 Huntington avenue was completed and occupied on October 10, 1933. This building is of modified colonial design, three stories high, of limestone and brick. The building is occupied by Engine Company 37 and Ladder Company 26, formerly stationed at the corner of Brookline and Longwood avenues. The headquarters of the Chief of District No. 8 are also in this building. The Chief of District No. 8 was formerly stationed at Roxbury Cross- ing but this location brings him more in the center of the district.

A new station was needed in this section of the city for many years because of the hospitals, school buildings and apartment houses and dormitories in the Roxbury- Fenway district. The two companies now located in this building were formerly stationed at a building almost on the city line, which reduces their radius of operation practically fifty per cent. Exclusive of the land, this building was erected at a cost of $114,979.41. The building formerly occupied by the Fire Department at Longwood and Brookline avenues was immediately transferred to the Public Buildings Department.

Fire Apparatus. Because of the excellent condition of our present equipment, and in order to economize in expenditures during the year, no major apparatus was purchased in 1933. The motor equipment of the department at the present time consists of the following:

Type.

In Ser\'ice.

In Reserve.

52

48

23

8

3

41

3 1

2 1

12 8 3

9

Steam engines (tractors) ....

3

8

Aerial ladder trucks. ...

6

6

Water towers ...

1

Chief officers' cars .

8

1

Rescue cars

2

Fuel cars

2

Portable lighting plants

.

Emergency cars (Ford)

Fire Department.

High Pressure Service,

The records of the two high pressure service stations for the year are as follows:

Station No. 1.

Station No. 2.

Total alarms to which pumps responded. Water discharged *

255 227,500 gallons

181 196,000 gallons

* Owing to the construction of the Venturi meters they do not record flows under 600 gallons per minute.

At the present time the high pressure system has 501 hydrants in service and approximately 18.45 miles of 12-inch, 16-inch and 20-inch mains.

Hydrants.

The following is a list of the hydrants in service for fire purposes on December 31, 1933:

Public.

Private.

Ordinary post

Boston post

Lowry

Boston Lowry

Batchelder and Finneran post

Boston

High pressure

Chapman post

Ludlow post

Matthew post

Cofiin post

Total

131 24 .33 5 5 111

55 13 4

Fire College.

The sessions of the fire college continued during the year, except during the vacation period, and at the con- clusion of the third session, on April 11, 1933, all officers had completed the course of instructions and the college was then opened to the privates. Eighty privates received instructions at the fire college during the year.

6

City Document No. 12.

Mutual Aid. During the year the department responded to forty- three alarms outside the city hmits, divided as follows;

Milton

27

Somerville

. . .10

Quincy .....

2

Brookline

1

Newton

2

Lowell

1

Fire Alarm Service. During the year the Fire Alarm Service has been maintained at its usual high standard of efficiency. In order that the Fire Alarm Service might properly be equipped to take care of the extension of the system, commensurate with the growth of the city, a contract was made during the year for new battery switchboards, circuit protector boards, relay boards and other items. The total amount to be expended for this equipment is $46,741. With the addition of this equipment, the fire alarm station will be able to take care of gradual extensions of its service for many years.

Operating Records.

First alarms Second alarms Third alarms Fourth alarms

5,520

66

14

3

Total 5,603

Box Alarms Received but not Transmitted.

Same box received two or more times for same fire . Adjacent boxes received for same fire .... Received from boxes but treated as stills

Total

Still Alarms Received and Transmitted. Received from Citizens by telephone .... Received from Police Department by telephone . Received from Fire Department stations Received from boxes but treated as stills Mutual aid alarms (adjacent cities and towns) treated

as stills

Emergency service treated as stills ....

453

303

6

762

2,420

219

1,070

6

43 175

Total

3,933

Fire Department.

Still alarms received by telephone for which box alarms

were afterwards received and transmitted . . 218

Still alarms received by telephone for which box alarms, not received, were transmitted (11 p. m. to 7 a. m.) 320

Total 538

Automatic and A. D. T. Alarms. Boston Automatic Fire Alarm Company:

Transmitted by company to this department . . 150

Box alarms received and transmitted after auto- matic alarms had been struck .... 4

Box alarms not received but transmitted, after automatic alarm had been struck (11 p. m. to 7 a. m.) 16

Automatic alarms received at fire alarm office but

not transmitted 7

American District Telegraph Company:

Transmitted by company to this department . . 117

Box alarms received and transmitted after A. D. T.

alarms had been struck 6

Box alarms not received but transmitted after

A. D. T. alarms had been struck (11 p. m.

to 7 a.m.) 32

A. D. T. alarms received at fire alarm office but

not transmitted 14

Summary of Alarms. Alarms received:

Box alarms received and struck . . . . 5,152

Box alarms received but not struck .... 756

Multiple alarms 83

Still alarms — all classes 3,933

Boston automatic alarms 150

A. D. T. alarms 117

Box alarms not received but transmitted . . . 368

10,559

Exclude following:

Multiples 83

Box alarms received but not transmitted . . . 756

Still alarms for which other alarms were transmitted 538 Automatic alarms for which other alarms were

transmitted 20

Automatic alarms received but not transmitted . 7 A. D. T. alarms for which other alarms were

transmitted 38

A. D. T. alarms received but not transmitted . . 14

1,456

8

City Document No. 12.

Total alarms, with eliminations, to which apparatus responded :

First alarms 5,520

Still alarms . . 3,395

Automatic alarms . 123

A. D. T. alarms 65

Multiple Alarm Fires.

With two alarms With three alarms With four alarms

9,103

53

11

3

Fire Alarm Box Records. Boxes from which no alarms were received . Box tests and inspections ....

67

406 11,233

Note. — All street box doors are tested weekly.

False Alarms. Box alarms received and struck Box alarms received but not struck

Telephone

A. D. T

Automatic Box stills

Fire Alarm Boxes in Service.

Owned by Fire Department

Owned by School Buildings Department

Owned by Boston Automatic Fire Alarm Company,

Privately owned

Fire Alarm Boxes in Districts.

1,541

21

28

3

3

4

1,600

1,194

258

47

152

1,651

District 1

96

District 9

113

District 2

73

District 10

136

District 3

45

District 11

150

District 4

86

District 12

107

District 5

75

District 13

167

District 6

102

District 14

143

District 7

105

District 15

122

District 8

130

Division 1

. 375

Division 2

487

D

ivisi(

3n3 .

. 788

Fire Department.

Summary of Work Done in 1933. Feet

Line wire used in new work (approximately) . . 15,150

Line wire used for replacements (approximately) . 16,000

Line wire removed from service (approximately) . 4,400

Aerial cable installed, new work 2,120

Conductors in same 7,180

Aerial cable removed from service 600

Conductors in same 3,600

Underground cable installed (new work) . . . 11,219

Conductors in same 84,732

Underground cable replaced ...... 25,369

Conductors in same 453,696

Conduits laid underground 3,540

Ducts in same . . . 3,743

Ducts abandoned . 1,374

Manholes built 2

Handholes built 6

Fire alarm boxes installed by this department . . 21

Fire alarm boxes installed on private property . . 1

Fire alarm boxes relocated 6

Fire alarm boxes removed from service ... 3

Box posts installed 19

Box posts relocated 2

Box posts reset or replaced by new .... 4

Cable posts relocated 1

Underground cable boxes attached to poles ... 5

Underground cable boxes removed from service . . 2

WIRE DIVISION.

Superintendent Walter J. Burke was retired on Jan- uary 1, 1933, and Peter F. Dolan, chief inspector, was appointed superintendent on March 3, 1933.

The regular and periodical inspections of all perma- nent electrical installations in theaters, places of amuse- ments and public halls were carried on during the year, together with inspections of new installations and changes in electrical work. Thorough investigations were made of all fires and accidents reported as due to electrical causes and the reports are on file in the Wire Division.

The following is a table showing a summary of the work of the interior division of the Wire Division for 1933:

Notices of new work received 11,645

Number of permits issued to turn on current . 9,295

Number of incandescent lamps inspected . . 2,153,807

Number of motors inspected . . . . . 15,774

10 City Document No. 12.

Number of inspections made 28,972

Number of inspections made of theatres, places

of amusement and public halls .... 1,393

During the year there were ninety-two fires in build- ings, eleven manhole troubles, four fires on poles and twelve miscellaneous troubles investigated. There were seven accidents to persons due to electricity, — none of which proved fatal.

The income received from permits to perform elec- trical work is $34,246.33.

Exterior Division. The underground district for the year 1933, as pre- scribed under authority of chapter 101 of the Acts of 1931, comprised the following streets:

Roxhury. — Humboldt avenue, from Walnut avenue to Seaver street; Columbus avenue, from Centre street to Walnut avenue; Longwood avenue, from Parker street to St. Alphonsus street.

South Boston. — West Second street, from Dorchester avenue to Dorchester street; East Second street, from Dorchester street to K street.

East Boston. — Lexington street, from Meridian street to Shelby street; Shelby street, from Saratoga street to Lexington street.

Brighton. — Chiswick road, from Chestnut Hill avenue westerly to end of street at 205 Chiswick road; Market street, from Lincoln street to Western avenue, making a total distance of four miles as prescribed by law.

In these prescribed streets, from which poles and overhead wires were to be removed, there was standing on January 1, 1934, a total of one hundred and seventy (170) poles (not including the trolley poles of the Boston Elevated Railway Company which are exempt) owned by the Edison Electric Illuminating Company and New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, supporting one million one hundred thousand nine hundred and ninety (1,100,990) feet of overhead wires, owned by the Edison Electric Illuminating Company, New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, Boston Fire Department (Fire Alarm Branch), Boston Police Department (Police Signal Service), and Boston Elevated Railway.

During the past year the inspectors of this division have reported one hundred and sixteen (116) poles

Fire Department. 11

decayed at base and eight (8) poles leaning, or a total of one hundred and twenty-four (124) poles, which were replaced or reset by the various companies at the request of this department.

The following table shows the overhead work for the year from January 1, 1933, to December 31, 1933, inclusive :

Number of new poles set in new locations . . 15

Number of poles replaced, reset or straightened . 124

Number of poles removed 7

Number of poles now standing in the public streets 17,770

Number of defects reported ..... 977

Number of defects corrected 718

(Other defects in process of correction.)

Number of notices of overhead construction . 1,598

Number of overhead inspections .... 24,031

Number of overhead reports 19,593

Amount of overhead wires removed by owners

(in feet) 566,240

Underground Construction. The ducts used for underground conduits of the dra wing-in systems are of the following type :

1. Vitrified clay (laid in concrete).

2. Fiber (laid in concrete).

3. Iron.

4. Wood.

In side or residential streets, special underground con- struction for electric light and power purposes (110 and 220 volts), of the type known as the ''SpUt Fiber Solid Main System", has also been installed.

The electrical approvals for underground electrical

construction numbered 1,070

Number of inspections of underground electrical con- struction 7,905

Number of reports of underground electrical con- struction 1,625

12 City Document No. 12.

Table Showing Underground Work for the Year 1933.

Company.

•3 ■0 a 0 C

"o g

3

Q "0

V

3 ffl 0

0

a

Boston Elevated Railway

Boston Consolidated Gas Com- pany.

Edison Electric Illuminating Com- pany.

Boston Fire Department (Fire Alarm Branch).

1,400 1,059

92,620

2,320

1,250

4,404

1,000

5,560 1,059

555,055

2,259

1,250

6,654

1,915

37,735 16,756

480,132

11,219

5

163 5

25

954

16

49

Signal Service).

New England Telephone and Tele- graph Company.

Western Union Telegraph Com- pany.

33,545 1,921

2 1

29 3

Totals

104,053

573,752

581,308

176

1,076

Note: — "SpUt Fiber Solid Main System" of Edison Electric lUumi included in the above figures, comprising 1,183 feet of conduit and 2,315

nating Company is feet of duct.

Table Showing the Amount and Distribution of Boston's Electrical Power,

December 31, 1933.

Company.

In

life

H

Capaeit.v of Incandescent Lamps in Kilowatts.

^ am

ogs

o

S o

as

"o

fc.2

24,360

241,287

4,355

3,000

*

140 125

15 300

*

353,454 6,000

*

75 106

68,800 2,000

*

215

*

i 2t 1201:

9

Edison Electric Illuminating Company, Hanover Street Trust

54,424 500 620

292,816 360 400

72 1

2

Totals

79,904

534,863

7,620

315

359,635

71,015

99

* Unknown. (Meter capacity connected toIineB of Edison system, 1,110,000 kilowatts.) t Main. + Substation.

I resigned as Fire Commissioner on October 16, 1933, after having served in that position since March 5, 1930. I accepted a reappointment to this position on January 5, 1934. From October 16, 1933, to January 5, 1934, Eugene M. McSweeney was Fire Commissioner.

Fire Department. 13

Recommendations.

Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the im- portant work that is being done along fire prevention lines in the Fire Department during the past three or four years.

I have given the matter of fire prevention considerable attention and study. A school has been established for the inspectors so that they will be entirely familiar with all the common hazards they may encounter during their inspection work, as well as the proper method of having them corrected. Additional officers were assigned to the Fire Prevention Division when the force was increased, so that there would be a constant check-up at all times of the men who were out doing inspection work. I have also arranged to have men assigned from the various fire houses to go out each day for a few hours to inspect buildings within the company districts, supplementing the work of the fire prevention inspectors.

When the Massachusetts Legislature authorized the Fire Commissioner to investigate suspicious fires in the City of Boston, I organized within the Fire Prevention Division an Arson Unit. Members of this unit were trained under a deputy chief to investigate causes of fires and gather evidence when any suspicious fires were reported. Police officers have been assigned to the Fire Prevention Division to assist in the prosecution of cases when the evidence warrants it. There is no doubt that the Fire Prevention Division, with the assistance of the Arson Squad, has been of great assist- ance to the fire fighting force in the city in reducing the fire loss.

I recommend that the work which has already been started be continued in order that the fire loss of the City of Boston may show a constant reduction annually.

False Alarms.

During the year there were 1,573 false alarms sent out over the fire alarm system. This evil seems to be growing greater and greater each year, regardless of the attention that has been called to it quite frequently in the newspapers. This department is now making a study of some way to correct this disgraceful practice and it is hoped that by bringing the matter forcibly to the attention of school children that some of the alarms

14 City Document No. 12.

may be eliminated. The greater percentage of these alarms are not sounded by children but by some character of fanatics who do not seem to realize the danger that their acts may cause. Prompt police prosecution and severe sentences would undoubtedly be very effective in eliminating the number of false alarms sounded in the city.

New Buildings. The subject of new building construction is one which is under consideration at all times. There are several fire houses in the City of Boston which are old and antiquated and were never built with a view to accom- modating the modern Fire Department equipped with motor apparatus. They have been remodeled from time to time to serve the city temporarily. When the finances of the city will permit, it would be advisable to begin a program of rebuilding and relocating some fire stations, so that not only will the houses of the department be up-to-date, but the efficiency of the department will be increased.

Yours very truly,

Edward F. McLaughlin,

Fire Commissioner.

Fire Department.

15

RECAPITULATION OF EXPENDITURES, 1933.

Fire Department

Wire Division

New Fire Stations and Additions to and Improve- ments of Existing Fire Stations ....

1,804,226 83 83,611 42

177,345 51

t,065,183 76

ANNUAL REPORT OF REVENUE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. YEAR OF 1933.

Permits for fires in open spaces, fireworks, blast- ing, transportation and storage of explosives, garage and gasolene storage, oil burners, etc

Sale of old material (condemned hose)

Sale of old material (junk)

Sale of badges

Damage to property- Damage to fire alarm boxes and posts

Damage to fire apparatus

$24,607 28 200 00 250 79 350 05 50 19 383 15 138 69

$25,980 15

16 City Document No. 12.

CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT. Henry A. Fox. The chief is in charge of the fire protection of the city, which is divided into three divisions, each com- manded by a deputy chief, which are subdivided into fifteen districts, each commanded by a district chief.

Division 1.

Deputy Chiefs, John J. Kelley and Louis C.

Stickel.

Headquarters, Ladder House 8, Fort Hill Square.

This division comprises Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

District 1.

District Chiefs, Napeen Boutilier and William

F. Donovan.

Headquarters, Ladder House 2, Paris Street,

East Boston.

Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 5, 9, 11,

40, 47 (fireboat), Ladders 2, 21, 31.

District 2.

District Chief, Philip A. Tague.

Headquarters, Engine House 50, Winthrop Street,

Charlestown. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 27, 32, 36, 50, Ladders 9, 22, Rescue 3.

District 3.

District Chiefs, John J. Kenney and William A.

Donovan.

Headquarters, Ladder House 18, Pittsburgh Street,

Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 25, 38,

39, 44 (fireboat). Ladders 8, 18, Water Towers 1 and 3.

District Jj-. District Chief, John F. McDonough. Headquarters, Engine House 4, Bulfinch Street. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 4, 6, 8, 31 (fireboat). Ladders 1, 24.

FiKE Department. 17

District 5. District Chiefs, John F. Watson and Dennis J.

COUGHLIN.

Headquarters, Engine House 26-35, Broadway. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 7, 10, 26, 35, Ladder 17, Rescue 1, Water Tower 2.

Division 2. Deputy Chiefs, Thomas H. Downey and William F.

Quigley. Headquarters, Engine House 22, Warren Avenue. This division comprises Districts 6, 7, 8, 11.

District 6. District Chiefs, James J. Kane and Edward G.

Chamberlain. Headquarters, Engine House 1, Dorchester Street,

South Boston. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 1, 2, 15,, 43, Ladders 5, 19, 20.

District 7. District Chiefs, Michael F. Minehan and

Samuel J. Pope. Headquarters, Engine House 22, Warren Avenue. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 3, 22, 33^ Ladders 3, 13, 15.

District 8.

District Chiefs, Daniel Martell and Charles H.

McDonnell.

Headquarters, Ladder House 12, Tremont Street.

Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 13, 14,

37, Ladders 12, 26.

District 11. District Chiefs, Thomas H. Andreoli and Joseph W.

Shea.

Headquarters, Engine House 41, Harvard Avenue,

Brighton, Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 29, 34, 41^ 51, Ladders, 11, 14.

18 City Document No. 12.

Division 3. Deputy Chiefs, Walter M. McLean and Frank A.

Sweeney. Headquarters, Ladder House 23, Washington Street,

Grove Hall. This division comprises Districts 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15.

District 9. District Chiefs, William H. McCorkle and Edward

J. Locke. Headquarters, Engine House 12, Dudley Street. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 12, 23, 24, Ladders 4, 23, Rescue 2.

District 10.

Districts Chiefs, Daniel J. Hurley and Edward N.

Montgomery.

Headquarters, Engine House 17, Parish Street,

Meeting House Hill.

Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 17, 18, 21,

Ladder 7.

District 12. District Chiefs, Timothy F. Donovan and Thomas F.

Ward. Headquarters, Engine House 28, Centre Street, Jamaica Plain. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 28, 42, 53, Ladders 10, 30.

District 13. District Chief, Charles A. Donohoe. Headquarters, Engine House 45, Corner Washington

and Poplar Streets, Roslindale. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 30, 45, Ladders 16, 25.

District 14-

District Chiefs, James Mahoney and Walter C. Glynn.

Headquarters, Engine House 46, Peabody Square,

Dorchester. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 16, 20, 46, 52, Ladders 6, 27, 29.

Fire Department.

19

District 15.

District Chief, William Hart.

Headquarters, Engine House 48, Corner Harvard

Avenue and Winthrop Street, Hyde Park. Apparatus Located in the District. — Engines 19, 48, 49, Ladder 28.

Alarms.

Building fires

Automobile fires

Rubbish, vacant lot

Rubbish near building

Dump .

Brush or grass .

Other outdoor fires

False .

Accidental

Needless

Rescue

Marine

Out of city calls

Total alarms

Fire resistive Second class Frame . Other types

Fires in Buildings. Construction of Buildings.

Total

Point of Origin.

Basement . First floor . Second floor Third floor . Above third floor Roof . Outside

Total .

Extent of Fire. Confined to point of origin Confined to buildings Spread to other buildings

3,726

959

283

127

62

573

525

1,573

245

689

273

15

43

9,093

192

1,817

1,711

6

3,726

1,202 1,077 473 331 164 121 358

3,726

3,055 589

82

Total

3.726

20

City Document No. 12.

Causes of Fires in Buildings

Chimneys, soot burning . Defective chimney . Sparks from chimney Defectively installed heater Kubbish near heater Hot ashes .... Fuel oil burners Careless smoking Children and matches Other careless use of matches Defective wiring Electric appliances and motors Home dry cleaning . Flammable liquids near flame Kerosene lamps, stoves . Grease, food on stove Clothes, furniture too near fire Spontaneous ignition Fireworks .... Thawing water pipes Sparks from machines City gas and appliances . Miscellaneous known causes Incendiary or suspicious . Unknown ....

473 55 66

108 45 83

178

920

197

200 88

178

9

44

16

112 54

153 65 59 36 17

237 87

246

Total

3,726

Fire Department.

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City Document No. 12.

Causes of Fires and Alarms, from January 1, 1933, TO January 1, 1934.

Automobile

959

Rubbish, vacant lot

Rubbish near building . . . Dump

283

127

62

Brush or grass

Other outdoor fires

False

573

525

1,573

Accidental

Needless bell and still .... Rescue

245 689 273

Marine

15

Out of city calls

Chimneys, soot burning. . .

Defective chimney

Sparks from chimney

Defectively installed

heater

Rubbish near heater

Hot ashes

43

473

55

66

108 45 83

Fuel oil burners

178

Careless smoking

Children and matches. . . .

920

197

Other careless use of

matches

Defective wiring

Electric appliances and

motors

Home dry cleaning

Flammable liquids near

flame

Kerosene lamps, stoves. . . Grease, food, on stove .... Clothes, furniture, too

near fire

Spontaneous ignition

Fireworks

Thawing water pipes

Sparks from machines .... City gas and appliances. . Miscellaneous known

causes

Incendiary or suspicious. Unknown

Total.

200

178 9

44

16

112

54 153 65 59 36 17

237

87

246

9,093

Fires Extinguished by

1933.

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141 161 164 124 119 132 117 70 87 106 174 224

7 4 8 9 16 12 7 3 1 3 3 9

59 53 66 50 60 51 47 33 27 39 43 94

39 35 45 38 37 42 34 31 15 34 54 54

16

February.

17

March

16

9

15

13

July

18

18

15

23

26

28

Totals ....

456

275

1,619

82

622

458

214

Fire Department.

25

Fires Where Losses Exceeded $15,000.

Date.

Location and Owner.

Loss,

1933.

Jan.

21

48-54 Canal street, Imperial Furniture Company et al.

$18,057 81

OS

61-63 Shawmut avenue, M. S. Rosenbaum et al

84-100 Peterborough street, A. Demajian et al

29,789 15

Feb.

2

17,126 50

Feb.

7

56 Brighton avenue, Fordham Realty Company etal

26,693 96

Feb

10

h 19

868 Broadway, Roman Catholic Archdiocese

86,287 26

25-43 Kneeland street, Haymarket Clothing Company et al.

36,242 84

March 20

197-201 Congress street, Sager Electrical Supplj' Com- pany et al.

93,114 34

March 20

Rear 458 Blue Hill avenue, Grove Hall Chevrolet Com- pany et al.

18,197 00

June

9

137 and 139 Stuart street, E. F. Cloran Company

18,350 00

Nov.

2

33-35 Bedford street, Laboratory Kitchen et al

95,821 21

Nov.

7

Central Wharf, Eastern Steamship Company et al

149,840 53

Nov.

IS

127 and 133 Oliver street, Portland Elevator Company et al

26,408 47

Dec.

90

120 Business street, Baylite Lamp & Shade Company. ,

24,000 00

Statistics. Population, January 1, 1934 (estimated) Area, square miles Number brick, etc., buildings Number of wooden buildings Fires in brick, etc., buildings Fires in wooden buildings Fires out of city Not in buildings, false and needless

805,400

47.81

43,975

93,830

2,009

1,717

43

5,324

Qno.q

Fire Loss for the Year Ending December 31, 1933.

Buildings, loss insured $1,456,783 09

Contents, loss insured 903,023 86

Total loss insured Marine loss

$2,359,806 95

$917 26

26

City Document No. 12.

Yearly Loss for the Last Fifteen Years.

Marine Loss not Included.

Year ending January 1, 1920 .

$2,577,584 00

1—1

1921 .

3,139,566 00

U U ti 1

1922 .

4,010,201 00

1923 .

3,304,595 00

U U U 1

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1924 .

6,286,299 00

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1925 .

4,735,595 00

« « « 1

1926 .

5,407,070 00

« « « 1

1927 .

5,199,965 00

U U « 1

1928 .

3,694,642 00

« « « 1

1929 .

3,887,250 00

« « « ]^

1930 .

4,129,926 00

« « « 1

1931 .

4,593,622 00

« « "1

1932 .

4,115,419 00

U U U 1

1933 .

4,240,168 00

« « « 1

1934 .

2,359,806 00

Fire Department.

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City Document No. 12.

Alarms for the Past Ten Years.

Year.

Bell.

Still and Automatic.

Totals.

1933

5,496 5,587 4,727 4,601 4,473 3,867 3,492 3,762 3,798 3,640

3,597 3,808 3,934 3,808 3,979 3,829 3,840 4,108 3,904 4,353

9,093

1932

1931

9,395 8,661

1930

8,409

1929 .

8,452

1928

7,696

1927.

7,332

1926

7,870

1925.

7,702

1924.

7,993

Each fire is treated as having only one alarm.

John E. Fitzgerald Medal. John J. Leary, for 1922. Daniel J. O'Brien, for 1923. Thomas F. Kilduff, for 1924. Dennis M. Condon, for 1927. Joseph P. Hanton, for 1929.

Walter Scott Medal. Dennis M. Condon, for 1922. James H. Curran, for 1923. Edward J. Crowley, for 1924. Gilbert W. Jones, for 1927. John J. Boyle, for 1929.

Roll of Merit.

Carl V. Anderson. Carl S. Bowers. James J. Buchanan. William O. Cheswell. Dennis M. Condon. Walter P. Corbett. Michael J. Dacy. James E. Downey. Thomas H. Downey. Dennis Driscoll. Joseph P. Hanton. Timothy J. Heffron. Gilbert W. Jones.

Henry J. Kelly. Martin A. Kenealy. John J. Kennedy. Frederick F. Leary. John J. Martin. Edward McDonough. James F. McMahon, Thomas J. Muldoon. Edward J. Murphy. Arthur A. Ryan. Michael J. Teehan. John A. O'Connor.

CITY OF BOSTON PRINTING DEPARTMENT

ANNUAL REPORT

IKE DEPAKTMENT

AND WIRE DIVISION

IT^' oji^ BOSTON

FOU THE

J:NPTA^0 DECEMBER 31, 1934

CITY OF BUbl U.N PRINTING DEPARTMENT

1935

4