NEAFC 32nd Annual Conference.pdf - New England Association of ...

NEW ENGLAND .AssoCIATION O1~ FIRE CHIEFS
MODERATOR WOOLLEY: That is an intellectual observation; it is one
which partly answers Brother Andrews’ question. Some of these manufacturers
desisted, because they felt that you could scare people so that it would
be defeating the whole purpose of the fire alarm box.
There is another thing being done in an effort to detect culprits., and that
is the use of infra-red, and I am going to let the Chief tell you about that.
CHIEF KEEFE: We did put that on during the last year, Roi. Since that
time, the Education Department has gone along with us. We haven’t had too
many false alarms.
I don’t know whether that-would stand up in court or not, under false
alarms. We do have our boxes dusted with this invisible green dust, but as
yet we haven’t had a chance to prove our cases. Maybe some one will even
enlighten us.
MODERATOR WOOL.LEY: I can say that you first have to catch the culprit.
That evidence dan be taken into court, and, in Cleveland and other places,
we have secured convictions.. It is the same idea as marked bills, and that sort
of thing is applicable and admissible in court.
Does any one else wish to have anything to say on this matter?
CHIEF JOHN McBRmE: On that point, there is one phase of this problem
that I do not think has been discussed here today. The problem is not entirely
£or the fire service. I think that the police problem is one phase of it, and if
we can’t obtain the cooperation of the police in prosecuting these cases, then
we cannot go very iCar.
I recall that we had a joint meeting of the police chiefs of Massachusetts
with the Fire Chiefs Club, and at that time, we had greater success than the
City of Boston, in prosecuting false alarm offenders.
And so I think that in your Committee, Roi, you should expect and
seek the cooperation and the help of the police in solving the problem.
MODERATOR WOO~.LEY: Thank you very much. And I might say that
I believe that is an essential thing to be done, because unless., we can get a
stiffening of the backbone of these magistrates, and unless they go along with
us, we will be where we started, making no progress whatever.
And so we must consider that in any plan that we have.
CHIE~ HoLlviES: We have gone into the schools and educated them how
to pull a fire alarm box. That may sound funny, but we haven’t had a
false alarm. We do teach them how to pull it, in our city.
MODERATOR WOOS~V.EY: Now, some of ~ you may think that that is like
saying not to put beans in your ears, and a little child will go right out and
do it. Nevertheless, it is considered good educational work along that line,
if it is properly done. I am glad to see that Chief Holmes is. getting results.
I think that we have now covered nearly everybody, but is there any one
else who wants to say a word about this matter, before we give a last, final
warning?
Well, Gentlemen, I don’t like to skip over this, but I feel that we have
turned up a few ideas. I won’t attempt to summarize further, but let us go
on to the next question.
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