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

NEw ENGLAND ASSOClATIO~I O1~ FIRE CHIEFS
CHIEF WELLS: The curiosity seekers that ° I refer to are those who come
down in the summer; they go to a fire and they leave their automobiles in
the roads, and they plug up the roads, so that we can’t get through.
A year ago the last of .this month, we had a very large building that
was used as a coravalescent home, that caught fire. I managed to get five companies
in, and then I called for outside aid. I go out from quite a distance.
We have no large police force that could dispatch two cruisers; we have
nothing of that type.
As to the curiosity seekers on foot, we have a beautiful way. of getting
rid o£ them; we let the hose get away from us, and they will get out of the
way very quickly.
However, the curiosity seeker who parks his car in the road and blocks
vehicles from coming in, he is a menace, because the fellow who Comes in right
after he gets there, does the same thing, and pretty soon we have a situation
where even-the State Police, when they were called, could not get through,
and neither could our incoming equipment get through.
We had to use relay pumping, in that situation..
Here is what I would like to see put into effect; I would like to have
the cooperation of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles in this way; that if we
furnish the numbers of those people who ale careless, enough to leave their
cars unlocked or lock and plug up the roads, they could be removed from
driving or.given a lecture for a period of time. That might help.
We have tried education, but apparently the people who come down
for a summer vacation, like to go on these excursions for excitement; however,
the vacationers, even though they are entitled to their pleasure, should
see that we can manipulate on these roads, and on the highways, and in these
small towns.
We are trying to repor~ the names, or rather the numbers of the cars
found blocking the roads, by sending the numbers, in to Registrar King, and
he is very glad to assist us. But, I am afraid that we have got to do something
else, other than taking automobile numbers. And, I am just wondering if
anybody has any other suggestions as.. how to control this situation.
I have received from Brother Russell several clippings on the same subject,_
where towns have had serious fires, and additional help has.. been unable to
get through to help in the fire work.
Now, what is the use of municipal aid, if we are going to be prevented
from using the aid when it gets to us?
MOD~.RATOr~ WOOLI~,Y: Thank you very much, Chief. I am glad, since
you asked that question, that you helped to partially answer it. You have
also invited some further answers. This is. a subject that also calls for an extended
survey, and for some recommendations that might even be stringent.
In making studies of the large loss fires in this. country, Chief Wells, it was
interesting to go over all of them, to determine how many o£ them required
the help of outside companies. It was found that mutual aid, if you
want to call it that, was. called upon in the majority of those fires, as. well
as in many other forest fires not included in that category.
It was also found that in many cases, the response was seriously delayed,
just as you have said, because of these people who like to jump into their
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