Seattle’s Fire Chief Outlines Urgent Modernization Plan
Newly appointed Chief J.F. McDermott details the department's struggle with outdated equipment and calls for a complete overhaul of alarm systems and engine house standards.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mr. J. F. McDermott, the newly appointed chief of the fire department, entered upon his duties Saturday morning. In conversation with a reporter, Mr. McDermott detailed the department's condition: 'I am trying to get the fire department straightened out so as to find out what we have and what we lack. We have on hand two third-class engines, but they are poor and have to be repaired about fifty times they are used. The Preston truck is badly demoralized, three of its ladders having been destroyed in the fire. We also need an electric alarm system for every fire house in the city, which would allow us to trace false alarms. Tomorrow a new set of rules go into force: every man must pass a physical examination and must familiarize themselves with the location of the different hydrants. As long as I am chief, politics shall cut no figure in this hall.'
“As long as I am chief of this department politics shall cut no figure in this hall, and no kin of mine shall be with it.”
McDermott's transition from a disorganized volunteer-style operation to a professionalized, city-run department echoes the civic growing pains Seattle experienced as it outgrew its frontier origins. Today, the demand for high-tech infrastructure and centralized data tracking continues to be the primary driver of municipal service debates.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.