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

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NEw ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS
CHIEF KEEFE: No.
CHIEF CORCORAN : No.
CHIEF MARSHALL: I have just a slight observation. I think that now,
on every occasion, your entire Civil Defense organization in probably
out of every ten cities, is prima-rily your Fire Department anyway.
MODERATOR WOOLLEY: I won’t even ask Stu Potter!
CHIEF POTTER: You answer it for me!
MODERATOR WOOLLEY: I think that frankly, we are pretty well agreed,
but I think perhaps the Chief had this in mind; perhaps, he didn’t mean it was
going to supplant the Fire Department. I think that perhaps; what he meant
was something like this. In Washington, they may have a Federal policy,
which they hope to espouse, to have the Fire Department in these major scale
emergencies, such as the New England disaster, and so on-.
May we, at the risk of imposing upon you, Kyle, ask you to give us, if not
offcial Washington opinion, at least, your own thoughts in this matter, unless it
will embarrass you to do so.
MR. KYLE LAUGHLIN: I think that some of the difficulty has arisen from
the £act that the Civil Defense Administration in Washington now has the
authority to coordinate the needs for disaster, where the Federal government
has to be brought into the picture, financially.
The Federal Civil Defense Administration now has the power to coordinate
disaster occasions, by Public Law No. 875.
For instance, if there is a big national disaster, as Roi has mentioned, and
funds were needed, the request for funds would come through the Federal
Civil Defense Administration, and they would, after investigation, make
recommendations to the President. I think the fact that we have that coordinating
authority on the Federal level has perhaps confused the issue a little
bit, and it isn’t contemplated that in every little disaster that may occur,
the Federal Civil Defense Administration, waving banners, will come in and
supplant the Civil Defense.
MODER,[TOR WOOLLEY: Does this not answer your question?
Chief Eames of Reading will now have a reason for talking.
CHIEF EAMES Of Reading, Mass.: And, Roi, I am not ashamed to say that
I put the question in. We have had disasters, and we have been called upon to
render flood-light service.
One town, I understand, asked for six or eight lighting units for one
night; and, going through the channels; he sent out a call for ladders, flood
lights, and, in fact, one was ;or a 100-foot ladder, for Haverhill.
It seems to me that the Fire Departments should be trained in their emergency
work, and they are perfectly qualified to handle the situation, without
orders which perhaps might come through channels and be confused, and the
people who do not know the fundamentals and the importance of rescue work
are allowed to do it.
For instance, if help is needed in a disaster unit, they want it, and quick;
and, they don’t want to have the help form in convoys, for they will have to
be protected.
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