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~36 5/11/59 Ii I' i I , !I d II II :1 II ;i II il II I I ! i !I II II !I il II II I' II \1 ,I !I i I I I 11 II I ! I ! il " I I I I II ;1 I' ;1 ,I II II i I: 11 .,.' ...' ATTACHED REPORT DATED APRIL 15, 1959 FROM FIRE CHIEf E. L. SMITH: . - "lTEM 'I ~ BATTALION CHIErS .SYSTEM THE NATIONAL BOARD OF FIRE UNDERWRITER'S STANDARD SCHEDULE FOR GRADING CITIES OF THE -UNI'TED STATES, 1956 EDITION, SAYS IN PART, AND I QUOTE: 'FOR OVER EIGHT COMPANIES, THERE SHALL BE, IN ADDITION TO THE CHIEf, SUffiCIENT BATTALION OR DISTRICT CHIEFS, ONE Of WHOM MAY BE DESIGNATED AS THE ASSISTANT OR DEPUTY CHIEf, .TO PROVIDE ONE ON DUTY IN A FIRE STATION AT ALL TIMES.FOR EACH EIGH~ OR MAJOR FRACTION THEREOF OF COMPANIES IN SERVICE'. IN EUGENE WE HAVE THE fOLLOWING COMPANIES: 6 ACTIVE-DUTY PUMPER COMPANIES I ACTIVE DUTY AERIAL TRUCK COMPANY , RESERVE DUTY PUMPER COMPANY I RESERVE DUTY LADDER TRUCK COMPANY -l RESERVE DUTY RESCUE COMPANY /0 AVAILABLE.COMPANIES ' ON GREATER ALARM fIRES, THE Off-DUTY PERSONNEL ARE REQUIRED TO MAN THE RESERVE APPARATUS AND RESPOND TO HEADQUARTERS OR TO THE fiRE SCENE AS DIRECTED BY THE 'BATTALlON~CHIEf. IT WOULD APPEAR fROM THE ABOVE TOTALS, PLUS SEVERAL COMPANIES THAT WOULD RESPOND INTO EUGENE ON THE MUTUAL AID ASSISTANCE CALL, THAT THE POSITION Of BATTALION CHIEf. IS REQUIRED BY THE GRADING SCHEDULE, AND MOREOVER JUSTiFIED BY PROVIDING A CHIEf OFfiCER OF RESPONSIBLE STATUS ON DUTY TO OVERSEE THE EfFI- CIENT OPERATI~N OF THE fiRE fiGHTING DIVISION AT ALL TIMES. THE POPULATION Of A CITY DOES NOT ENTER INTO THIS PART OF THE GRADING SCHEDULE.. THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES IN SERVICE IS THE DETERMINING FACTOR. ITEM #2 ~ CHIEF'S CAR ACCIDENT ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22,1958, THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE OREGON FIRE CHIEfS.' ASSOCIATION, THE OREGON RURAL-DIRECTORS' ASSOCIATION AND THE OREGON COLUNTEER FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION OPENED IN KLAMATH FALLS. ON THE PRECEDI~G FRIDAY, I WENT OVER TO MY FARM AT BEND. FOUR MEMBERS Of OUR DEPARTMENT WERE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE. ON SUNDAY MORNING, CHIEfS STRONACH AND. HOLLAND AND MRS. STRONACH PROCEEDED TO KLAMATH FALLS BY PRIVATE CAR. CHIEf AND MRS. GUTHRIE STARTED TO BEND IN THE CHIEf'S CAR TO PICK UP MRS. SMiTH AND ME SO THAT WE COULD ALL TRAVEL TOGETHER IN ONE CAR TO REDUCE TRANSPORTATION CO~TS. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED JUST WEST OF THE COMMUNITY Of TUMALO. MRS. GUTHRIE, NOT BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED, CALLED ME AT THE fARM TO ADVISE ME Of THE ACCIDENT. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE SCENE OF- THE ACCIDENT AND HAVING BEEN ASSURED THAT CHIEf AND MRS. GUTHRIE WERE RECEIVING THE PROPER_MEDICAL AID,- I HAD THE WRECKED CAR TOWED INTO BEND AND PLACED IN STORAGE fOR SAfE KEEPING. I THEN PROCEEDED TO KLAMATH FALLS INMY PERSONAL CAR. CHIEF GUTHRIE WAS NOT ACTING AS MY CHAUffEUR, BUT WAS TO REPRESENT THE CITY Of EUGENE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT THE CONFERENCE. I-MIGHT fURTHER STATE THAT I HAVE NEVER.CHARGED THE CITY OF EUGENE MILEAGE, AS ALLOWED, ON MY PRIVATE CAR ON OfFICIAL BUSINESS, BUT ONLY THE GASOLINE AND OIL ACTUALLY USED. ITEM #3 - CHIEf'S FARM TRUCK IT IS TRUE THAT I PURCHASED A USED TRUCK AND DID SOME WORK ON IT IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GARAGE, MOST Of WHICH WAS DONE AFTER WORKING HOURS. IN fACT PAID OUT OVER $125.00 fOR LABOR ON THE OVERHAUL JOB. LAST FALL ~THIS TRUCK WAS USED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER A PERIOD OF THIRTY. DAYS IN TRIMMING TREES AND HAULING THE BRUSH AWAY IN THE SERVICING Of OUR FIRE ALARM SYSTEM WIRES. THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE CITY Of EUGENE. ITEM #4- FIRE TRUCK SPECIFICATIONS IN WRITING THE FIRE TRUCK SPECIFICATIONS, IT WAS OUR ENDEAVOR TO SECURE A TRUCK FOR THE CITY MADE UP Of STANDARD COMPONENT PARTS THAT CAN BE SERVICED ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, IN THE INTEREST OF ECONOMY FOR FUtURE REPAIRS AND REPLACE- MENT Of PARTS. SOME Of THE fiRE TRUCK MANUFACTURERS USE THESE SAME PARTS, BUT RENUMBER THEM TO THEIR OWN CODE, WHICH RESULTS IN DELAYS IN SECURING PARTS FROM THE FACTORIES AND OFTEN INVOLVES EXPENSIVE AIR EXPRESS CHARGES. e \: I, I' I' :: I e I I: ;1 , 1 ~ I ,I :1 !; " ,I I 'i " 1I ,t e I II " " I, : ,I e