NEWFOUNDLAND BOARD OF FIRE UNDERWRITERS' ST. JOHN'S, NFLD.

REPORT

ON THE

CITY OF ST. JOHN'S NEWFOUNDLAND

NOVEMBER. 1951

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NEWFOUNDLAND BOARD OF FIRE UNDERWRITERS St. John's, Nfld.

This report on conditions in the city of St. John's was compiled

by ]. N. Pryce and D. lVI. Baird, engineers of the Dominion Board

of T nsurance Undenvriters, l\Iontreal. following a comprehensive

survey made in July and November, 1951.

Acknowledgment is made of the valuable assistance rendered

by His \\T orship l\J ayor H. G. R. l\'Ie,vs, City Engineer R. F.

T\Iartin and his associates. Chief of Police L. Strange. Superin-

tendent F. G. Yivian and members of the fire department.

NEWFOUNDLAND BOARD OF FIRE UNDERWRITERS

COMPLETE REPORT ON THE

CITY OF SAINT JOHN'S NFLD.

CITY IN The City of St. John's is located on the extreme east

coast of the Avalon Peninsula in eastern Newfoundland and is the capital and principal city of that province. Government is by a city council consisting of a mayor and six c·ouncillors elected by wards for terms of four years and having jurisdiction under the "St. John's Municipal Acts" of 1921-1946. The provincial government exercises considerable power over municipal affairs. City was first incorporated in 1888.

Preliminary figures from the 1951 census place the popu­lation at 52,000. Recent extensions of the city boundaries and post-war and post-confederation factors have produced a rapid growth which is expected to continue.

St. John's possesses an excellent sheltered harbour, stt·ategically situated at the most easterly point of the con­tinent and is a principal base of the North Atlantic fisheries as well as chief port of the province. Coastal shipping facilities are particularly extensive. Wharves are of timber construction on wood piling. Harbour area is about one­half of one square mile.

Industries in the city include the manufacture of shoes, cigarettes, clothing, furniture, paint, lumber and other small industries; most operating for domestic trade. Extensive military and naval facilities erected during the last war are closed, with the exception of a large United States Air Force training base, Fort Pepperell, located at the north­western outskirts of the city.

St. John's is the eastern terminus of the Ne\vfoundland division of the Canadian National Railways. Regular steamship schedules are maintained to Canadian, American and British ports. There is a civil airport nearby, with regular flights to mainland points.

The city limits include an area of 4.5 square miles. Of this area, about 3.3 square miles are on the north side of the harbour and 0. 7 square miles on the south side, the remainder being harbour area. The city's responsibility for certain public works, including water, sewerage and roads, extends to a line one mile beyond the city limits. This includes a considerable built-up area north and west of the harbour.

The built upon part of the city south of the harbour consists chiefly of a narrow strip of land along the harbour

GENERAL front, where wharfage and industrial facilities are located, backed by a very steeply asC'ending range of hills.

On the north side of the harbour, the land rises steeply from the waterfront to a height of about 250 feet before levelling off and receding to a shallow valley toward the northern outskirts. The principal mercantile and congested value district is located along the north side waterfront with the old residential district lying on the steep hill to the north, east and west of it. Newer residential areas are located in the valley to the north and on the west. Street grades running north from the waterfront to the higher level tend to be severe, frequently being 6.5 to 10 per cent, and running to a maximum of 20 per cent. East­west grades are generally level or gradually undulating. Elevations in the principal mercantile district are 20 to 45 feet. Maximum elevation in the city is about 300 feet. A number of parks, government grounds, etc., provide open spaces in the northern and western parts of the city.

Streets in the principal mercantile district are from 35 to 50 feet in width from curb to curb and elsewhere are 25 to 50 feet. There are 76 miles of streets in the city; 14 miles of which are permanently paved, about 32 miles paved with light macadam and the remainder gravel or dirt. Streets are generdly in good condition although a few streets with severe grades are little used and are not suited to vehicular traffic. Curbs, gutters and storm sewers are fairly well provided and suitable sidewalks are installed excepting in a few areas. Snow is said to be plowed immediately and is removed from principal mercantile streets. A snow-blower, snow-loaders, truck and tractor plows and sanding units are maintained. An urban motor bus line services principal areas of the city. Few trafiic signal lights are in use. There are no drawbridges and grade railway crossings are not generally signifiC'ant to traffic.

Fuel used for heating consists chiefly of coal and fuel oil. Old dwellings are heated by stoves. New dwellings have hot air furnaces. Some hot-water or steam systems are used. Heating by stoves is common in older, inferior mercantile buildings.

Official records of the meteorological station at nearby Torbay Airport, based on a recent ten-year period, indicate

Saint John's, Nfld. WATER SUPPLY l':ovember, 1951.

an average wind velocity of 16 m.p.h. generally from the west. Winds of 30 m.p.h. or more are recorded on an average of every second day, daily averages exceeding 30 m.p.h. occurring about 70 times each year. Maximum wind in the period was west 80 m.p.h. Average annual temper· ature was 40.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer and winter

a.verages were 55.8 and 25.6 degrees respectively. Maxi­mum and minimum temperatures recorded were 86 and -10 degrees for one day periods. Average annual rain­forr for the ten-year period was 44.19 inches. Average snowfa.U was 142.1 inches. Maximum snowfall experienced in a 24-hour period was 20 inches.

FIRE-FIGHTING FACILITIES N.B.-All elevations referred to are in feet above mean

sea level. Quantities of water are expressed in Imperial gallons.

WATER SUPPLY OWNERSHIP--Waterworks facilities are entirely owned

and operated by the municipality and serve all built-upon parts of the city as well as some areas which are outside of the city limits but within the one mile limit. Fort Pepperell, a miiitary base, and Torbay Airport are also supplied.

ORGANIZATION-The waterworks supply and distri­butoin system is operated under the direction of the city engineer, Mr. R. F. 1fartin, who is in complete charge of all municipal public works, sanitation, streets, parks, etc.; and is responsible directly to the city council as a whole. There is one superintendent for both water and sewerage departments and an assistant superintendent in the ·water department. The city engineer's staff for all public works includes a surveyor, surveyor's assistant, draftsman and office manager.

Outside maintenance and operating staff of the \Vater department consists of 16 men. Three at \Vinsor Lake to maintain intake screens, valves, read meters and patrol the watershed.

Records-Plans of supply works, mains, valves and hydrants have been somewhat deficient in the past, but are presently being revised and made complete. The recent pitometer leakage survey has been of great value in remapping the distribution system and large scale sectional maps have been prepared. Venturi meter records of total consumption and pressure recordings are main­tained. Plans are filed in a fire-resistive vault.

Quarters-Executive and engineering offices are a part of the city engineer's office in the brick and stone City Hall. Maintenance and stores quarters of the outside staff are located in the basement of the same building. H:eavy pipe stock is stored at a city yard.

Fire Service and Emergency Operations-11aintenance equipment includes three trucks, air-compressor, portable lighting units and cutting and tapping equipment. A stock of pipe, fittings, valves and hydrants sufficient for normal maintenance is on band. A steam thawing device is used. Daily inspection of hydrants is carried out in winter. One man is on duty at all times in the maintenance quarters for emergency calls. He responds to fires when requested.

2

Employees at the intake works may be reached by tele­phone. A gong on the fire alarm system is located in the maintenance quarters at City Hall.

GENERAL OUTLINE OF SYSTEM-The system fur­nishes both fire and domestic supplies and is entirely gravitational. \Vindsor Lake, commonly known as Twenty­Mile Pond, is the sole supply and is located about 4. 7 miles north of the city. From this source water flows by gravity, in part through a single concrete conduit and for the remainder of the distance through two and then four cast-iron supply mains to the distribution system. Of these latter, two mains supply each of the two pressure service levels in the distribution system. A small natural lake serves as a pressure equalizer and storage reservoir on the lower pressure service level which supplies the principal mercantile area.

The original works were installed in 1846, utilizing George's Pond as a source of supply. \Vinsor Lake, the present source, was brought into use in 1862 by the St. John's Water Company. The municipality acquired the system upon incorporation in 1888 and in 1903 develop· ment of the system of supply as now used was begun. This included eventual duplication of the supply mains to the two service levels. In 1951 an extensive survey for necessary expansion and rehabilitation of the system was conducted.

SUPPLY WORKS-Source of Supply-Water is supplied from Winsor Lake, commonly known as Twenty­Mile Pond, and the small connecting lake, Round Pond. \Vater surface area is 1.8 square miles at flow line ele· vation and watershed drainage area is 6.5 square miles, all controlled by the city. The watershed is well wooded with conifers and has light earth cover such as to produce high run-off. Watershed patrols are made by resident caretakers and a small pump with hose is kept for fire fighting. Storage is estimated to be about 1.3 million gallons and is comparatiYely large for the size of the watershed. A recent estimate places the minimum safe yield at 7 million gallons per day. A conC'rete spillway is located at the south end of \Vinsor Lake, with overflow at elevation 493.5. Flashboards may be used to increase this le\-el 14 inches. A smaller dam and spillway are located on Round Pond. Meteorological records from Memorial College and nearby Torbay Airport show a mean annual precipitation of 57.3 inches for the period 1935 to 1950. 1faximum annual precipitation in this period \Vas that of 76.53 inches recorded in 1944. Minimum was 52.02 inches

November, 1951. WATER SUPPL )r Saint John's, Nfld.

in 1949. Lowest water level recorded occurred in 1927, when rainfall was about 37 inches and lake level fell to more than four feet below normal, about as low as possible while maintaining adequate discharge head on the supply works.

Intake System-Intake facilities are located at the nortli end of Vhnsor Lake and consist of a single 36-inch flanaed-joint steel pipe 625 feet long, extending from the con;rete conduit on shore through a breakwater into and along the bottom of the lake. Inlet is at a depth of 20 feet and is equipped with a bar screen. An auxiliary inlet to the intake pipe is provided by means of a 24-inch valve opening at a point behind the breakwater. This has been used during occasional difficulties with ice form­ations. The shore end of the 36-inch intake main ter­minates at a steel-lined concrete valve chamber. Two gate vah·es at this point permit throttling of the flow into the system. The chamber is housed over by a concrete structure and is heated by a stove. From the chamber, water flows through 3,000 feet of 4 x 7 foot arched and partly reinforced concrete conduit to the screen chambers. The conduit is laid below ground and partly in rock cut. It is reported to be in good condition. Construction was in 1905. Screen house is concrete with wood roof and houses duplicate screen chambers using double wire mesh screens which are removed daily for manual cleaning. Gate valves are located on the down-stream side of each chamber. Invert elevation at the screen chamber is only about 10 feet below normal lake level so that reductions in lake level may seriously curtail discharge in the supply works. A draw-down of five feet may reduce capacity to 10 m.g.d. Discharge from the screen house passes into a 36-inch steel supply main. A suitably valved by-pass around the screen chamber is provided, together with a flushing valve.

Supply Mains-From the screen chamber there is a single supply main consisting of 2,200 feet of 36-inch, 3,970 feet of 32-inch and. 1,870 feet of 36-inch steel pipe consecutively. Main is under cover and has mostly bell and spigot type joints. This main divides into two 24-inch cast-iron pipes for a distance of about 100 feet then reverts to single line in an 80-foot section of 30-inch pipe to pass through the 30 x 10-inch Venturi meter throat. At the meter house the 30-inch pipe divides into two 24-inch mains, one of which supplies the distribution system low sen'ice and the other the high service.

About 400 feet past the meter house, the 24-inch low service ma1n divides into a 16 and 20-inch parallel cast­iron mains extending 12,000 feet south east along Portugal Cove Road and Rennies' Mill Road to Rawlin's Cross to meet principal feeder mains in the distribution system. The 20-inch main continues through the distribution system via King's Road, Duckworth Street and Signal Hill Road, a distance of about 6,500 feet to George's Pond, the equal­izing reservoir on the low servic'e. These mains are said to be class C weight and in at least 3 feet of cover. Crossings under Rennie's River are under a concrete pro­tective cover and shut-off and flushing valves are provided.

The high service mains consist of about 1,167 feet of 24-inch cast-iron pipe from the meter house, which divides

3

into two parallel 16-inch cast-iron mains to extend 11,600 feet to a point in the high service distribution system near the intersection of M':ayor Avenue and Merrymeeting Road, entering the system from the north via Mayor Avenue. In this vicinity the two supply mains meet various distribution feeder mains. Shut-off and flushing valves are provided at unprotected crossings in the beds of Rennie's River and Coghlin's Bog. Mains are cast­iron, in 3 feet minimum cover.

Mains in the supply system range from twenty to eighty years in age and, due to the extremely soft nature of the water, are seriously reduced in carrying capacity due to tuberculation; in some cases as much as 50 per cent.

SUPPLY MAINS IN SERVICE

Diameter Inches Type Length in Feet

36 Steel 4,070 32 Steel 3,970 30 Cast-iron 80 24 Cast-iron 2,630 20 Cast-iron 18,500 16 Cast-iron 35,200

Old Conduit and Reservoir-From the screen house there is an old 42-inch concrete conduit which runs about 7,400 feet to a 500,000-gallon concrete storage reservoir adjacent to the meter house. This conduit is connected to the 36-inch supply main below the screen house by a closed 24-inch valve. The reservoir is connected to the two 24-inch supply mains just above the meter house by gated cross-connections. The old conduit and reservoir were part of the original waterworks and although now abandoned, could be used as an emergency alternate to part of the supply main.

Venturi Meter House-The Venturi meter house con­sists of a concrete valve chamber with a concrete structure over it housing the recording meter apparatus and an unused chlorinator apparatus. Building is heated by an oil stove.

GEORGE'S POND RESERVOIR-George's Pond is a small natural lake located on the side of Signal Hill at the north edge of the city. Surface area is 13 acres at flow line elevation of 309 feet. Although it has a small natural drainage area, this is of little significance in water supply, the function of the reservoir being as pres­sure equalizer and storage for the low service. Intake facilities consist of a small earth embankment, concrete screen and valve chamber and a 20-inch intake main pro­tected by a rack screen extending into the pond with an intake depth of 15 feet and invert elevation of 294.4 feet. At effective draw-down, capacity of the reservoir is said to be about 35 million gallons. Height of water in the reservoir is controlled by throttling the valve at the head of the low service supply main. The 20-inch supply main through the city connects directly to the valve chamber of the reservoir. The reservoir is not protected against pollution.

Saint John's, NOd. WATER SUPPLY November, 1951.

CONSUMPTION-Water consumed by the system in 1950, according to records of the Venturi meter on the supply system was as follows : Average daily consumption was 9 million gallons per day, maximum weekly average during the year was 11.7 million gallons per day and minimum weekly average was 6.8 million gallons per day. The highest consumption is recorded in winter when water is run in domestic· services to prevent freezing. Per capita daily consumption was about 180 gallons per day, a very high figure due largely to leakage and wastage in domestic fixtures. Efforts to reduce wastage, begun in 1950 and continuing, have produced consumption figures for the first nine month of 1951 which indicate a probable average daily consumption for 1951 of about 7.6 m.g.d. Metering of services is confined to industrial and commercial occu­pancies. Institutions are not generally metered. Total of metered services is 360. Fire service connections are not metered.

Tor bay Airport is supplied from a connection abo...-e the Venturi meter on the single supply main. Fort Pepperell is supplied by a 12-inch connection to the 20-inch low service supply main.

PRESSURES-Normal pressures in the low service range generally from 40 p.s.i. to 130 p.s.i. at upper and lower levels respectively. Pressures in the high service are from 35 p.s.i. to 130 p.s.i. The pressures in the following table are based on fire department records of readings taken at three hour intervals, day and night, during the period July 1 to 18, 1951. The records given for the East Fire Station are taken from recording gauge charts. A recording gauge is also maintained at City Hall.

Gauge Location

East Fire Station __ West Fire Station __ _ Central Fire Station_

Pressure in P.S.L Ave. Max. Min.

102 90

118

105 110 125

96 75

110

Pressure Service

Low High High

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM-General-Because of the considerable range in elevation in the city, the distribution system is divided into two pressure services by means of closed valves in the grid. The area serviced is divided in roughly equal parts, the division line between the two services lying generally between the 150 and 200 foot elevation contours excepting in the north and where it falls considerably below 150 feet. The low service covers the waterfront, principal mercantile district and most of the old congested residential district as well as the more scattered residential areas in the north and east sides of the city. Also on this system is Fort Pepperell. The high service is located in almost entirely residential districts, including the more rapidly developing new housing areas toward the north and west sides of the city. The plan accompanying this report shows essential features of the distribution system.

Low Service---The 20-inch low service supply main to George's Pond passes through the eastern end of the low

4

service distribution grid and has a number of cross-connec­tions with it. At the intersection of King's Road, a branch of this main extends west along Duckworth and New Gower Streets through the north side of the prin­cipal mercantile district. Reducing to 16-inch at Queen Street, this principal low service feeder continues west on New Gmver Street and then south on Hutching to Water Street. From this point, a 12-inch main crosses Job's Bridge to supply the south side of the harbour and two 10-inch mains extend farther west along Water Street.

From the 16-inch supply main at Rennie's Mill Road and Monkstown Road, a 16-inch main cross-connects with the high service supply mains in Mayor Avenue via Catherine Street, Baines Road and Howley Avenue. It is normally closed off by a valve at the border of the two services. From the end of the 16-inch supply main at Prescott Street and Queen's Road, 10-inch distribution feeders are laid south and west on Prescott Street and Queen's Road respectively; the former continuing to Water Street and the latter extending via New Gower Street (where it parallels the 20-inch), Job and Water Streets as far as the intersection of Sudbury Street. Another 10-inch main runs east from the 16-inch in Rawlin's Cross via :M:ilitary Road to the corner of Duck­worth and Ordance Streets. A 12-inch main branching from the 20-inch Duckworth Street main proceeds north on Lime Street and divides to run east on Cabot Street and Harvey Road to Garrison Hill and West on Cabot and Brazil Streets to Le Marchant Road. These latter mains are connected to feeder mains in the high service, but border-line valves are closed.

The above-deseribed mains form the feeder system to a fairly complete gridiron of smaller distributors for the low service. A number of dead-ends exist in the south, east and west extremities of the system, the entire south side waterfront being dependent upon a single 12-inch main, and circulation in the north side of the service is necessarily somewhat curtailed by closed interservice division valves.

High Service---The two 16-inch high service supply mains end as such on Mayor Avenue north of Merrymeeting Road at which point distribution feeders branch into the system. These include the 16-inch cross-connections to the low service via Howley Avenue, a 16-inch continuation on 1fayor Avenue and Freshwater Road as far as Le Mat-chant Road as well as a lengthy feed main of 12- and 10-inch pipe running through the north-western residential district by way of Merrymeeting Road, O'Dea Lane, Pennywell Road, Cashin Avenue, Mundy's Pond Road, Pierce Avenue, Blackmarsh Road and Hamilton Avenue.

The distribution gridiron of smaller mains is fairly complete in this service although there are a number of undeveloped areas in the district served, with consequent areas lacking in full gridiron circulation. However, dead­ends are generally short where they oceur.

Minor Distributors-Mains throughout the distribution system are well gridded in the built-up areas but in more outlying areas and adjoining undeveloped areas circulation

November, 1951. WATER SUPPLY Saint John's, Nfld.

is comparatively weak and large feeder mains are infre­quent. In the congested value and congested residential districts, the sides of blocks in the gridiron are short, seldom exceeding 500 feet, but distributors are largely 4-and 6-incb with inadequate feeder mains in part. Dead­ends are for the most part less than 300 feet in these districts. The sides of gridiron blocks elsewhere are chieflv of 6-inch pipe and vary considerably in length. Unsu~ported runs of 6-inch pipe of up to 1,200 feet are fairly frequent in residential districts hut are generally part of a grid loop. In some cases, however, these become dead-ends because of closed service division valves.

PIPE-Length and Age-The accompanying table gh·es the amount of pipe in various sizes in the distribution svstern. Some of the pipe was laid in 1870 and some h.etween 1895 and 1899 but the greater portion wc..s laid between 1914 and 1920. A considerable amount of extension work has been carried out in the past few years.

Condition and Cover-All pipe is cast-iron, bell and spigot type with lead and some sulphur compound type joints. Dne to the softness of the water, tuberculation is rapid and internal condition of the pipe is generally poor, carrying capacity being greatly reduced in many case;;. Pipes appear to be laid in sufficient cover and little trouble from freezing is t·eported. Mains are said to be flushed per;odically from hydrants and scouring valves, and water appe::.red fairly clean during tests.

Specifications-Said according to American \Vaterworks Association specifications. Pipe is generally class "C" weight although some class "B" pipe has been used in the upper levels.

TABLE No.1

Pipes in Distribution System

Di:,meter Inches Length Feet Percent of Total

20 3,650 1.0 16 8,000 2.1 12 22,500 5.8 10 26,650 6.9

8 42,355 11.0 6 265,635 68.7 4 17,450 4.5

TOT\L 386,240

Electrolyds-No noteworthy damage due to electro­lysis is observed. (See Electricity).

GATE VALVES-Valves are generally of solid wedge type and those of 16-, 20- and 24-inch size are set in concrete chambers with iron covers and are operated through reduction gearing. Smaller sizes are direct acting, set in pits or iron extension boxes with iron covers. Most valves open in a uniform direction, but a few are rever·sed. Cnifcrm operating nuts are used. Total number in distri­bution system is 602. Most are Glenfield-Kennedy, some Crane or Eddy.

,)

Location and Spacing-Valves are usually located on property lines at street intersections; valve box locations generally indicated on adjacent utility poles by a special mark. Division valves between the high and low services are specially recorded and indicated. In the built upon sections, where the gridiron is fairly complete, the length of pipe which would be shut off during isolation of a break would not exceed 1,200 feet; in outlying sections, un­supported pipe lines of up to 3,000 feet may be out of service.

Inspection and Condition-Valves are inspected as limited staff permits, without regular schedule. Most are in good operating condition. Records of locations have been poor, are being improved. All valves are normally open except those dividing the two services. Fire department is notified of shut·dm,vns.

HYDRANTS-Number and Type-There are 549 public hydrants of post type and Chapman Valve Company manu­facture. Valve openings are 5- and 6-inch lateral connec­tions 6 and occasionally 8 inches. All have two 2lh -inch hose outlets and about 450 have pumper suction outlets in addition. Nearly all hydrants in the congested value rlistrict have 6-inch valYe openings and have pumper suction connections. All hydrants are equipped with frost jackets and their valves open uniformly in counter-clock­wise direction. About 90 o/o of the hydrants have sliding gate type valve, the remainder compression type. Prac­tically all are equipped with 6-inch gate valves in their lateral connections and with a few exceptions, have 5- or 6-inch barrels. The municipal system serves 24 private hydrants.

How Located-Hydrants are installed by the \Vater­works Department at locations approved by the city engineer upon consultation with the fire chief. Hydrants are generally set inside the curb at street intersections or in the middle of long blocks.

Drainage, Inspection and Condition-Hydrants have automatic drip valves draining to prepared beds of stones. Drainage is fairly good for the most part. Inspection and maintenance are in the charge of the Waterworks Depart­ment. Inspections are made at all seasons when caps and stems are greased and any necessary repairs made. During the cold weather months between November and April, hydrants are inspected daily and snow is kept cleared. A Hauck steam thawing device is maintained. Hydrants operated during tests appeared in good condition.

Distribution-In the princ-ipal mercantile district the linear spacing of hydrants is from 250 to 500 feet and each serves an area of 20,000 to 50,000 square feet. In built-up and more outlying residential areas, spacing is 400 to 1,000 feet, with hydrants serving 25,000 to 200,000 square feet.

Use By Others-Hydrants in all parts of the city are used freely for filling city street flushers with little trouble reported. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Saint John's, Nfld. WATER SUPPLY November, 1951.

TABLE No. 2-FIRE FLOW TESTS

I

Pressure P.S.I. I I Quautity Available

DISTRICT LOCATION OF GROUP Pressure i Total Quantity G.P.:M:. Service

1

_Discharge Required Hydrants Hydrants • m G.P.l\1. i G.P.M. Direct At 20

Closed Open

I

Pressure P.S.I. I

I

P<indpal Mmantile and { 1. Water and Walde- Low 132 110 2,960 I 7,000 4,900 (A) 6,900 Waterfront ________ grave Streets ---- I ~

I

I

I 2. Water and Prescott Low 132 100 2,321 7,000 3,200 (A) 4,600

Streets -----------, I

I

Secondary Mercantile and 3. Duckworth and • Low 120 90 4,750 6,000 5,790 (A) 8,900

W :::::o~~-~-:::::~~~-In~~ I

Prescott Streets I

I I 4. South Side Road at Low 118 I 75 1,022ti 3,500 1,130 (B) 1,570

stitutional and Tene.l Cashin's \Vharf_

I

I l

men t Dwelling -------1 I

I

I I

I !

Industrial, Minor Mercan-, 5. Water Street \Vest Low 120 64 2,989 3,500 I

2,900 (B) 4,000 tile and Dwelling _____

1

and Patrick St. _: I

I

I

I I

I ! !

Congested Residential, 6. Queen's Road and Low 65 55 1,950 2,500 -(B) 4,550 :1\finor Mercantile and Prescott Street Industrial

I

----------I I

!

Congested Residential, 7. Bond and Colonial I Low 87 50 2,836 I

5,000 2,100 (B) ! 3,900 Institutional and Indus- Streets -- --------- I

trial ·-··------------------1 I

I

Congested Residential, I 8. Dun forth and_Jo~~~ Low 95 82 1,414 2,500 2,300 (B) I 3,800 Minor Industrial __ ___I Streets I

I I

' Congested Restdentlal and Minor Mercantile _______ _

9. Longs Htll and Harvey Road __ __

Low 40 25 1,531 3,000 -(B) I 1,700

Cong<,ted R"idential _____

1

r·· Monks town Road Low 68 39 1,310 2,500 450 (B) 1,800

and Maxse Streetr

Penneywell i

-(B) 1,420 I 11. Road High 60 20 1,420 2,000 I and Franklin St ...

Residential & Apartments 12. Strawberrymarsh High 130 22 2,044 2,000 1,500 (B) 2,100 Road and Dart-mouth Place ----!

[13 Cornwall I

High 22 690 1,000 -(C) 700 Avenue I 59

opposite No. 59

Residential 14. Le Marchant Road High I

80 20 1,570 1,200 850 (C) , 1,570 ------------------

l15. near Hamilton St.

I

Salisbury and Malta High 87 53 1,692 1,200 1,500 (C) 2,600 Streets ·---

I

A-At pressure of 75 p.s.i. B-At pressuhe of 65 p.s.i. C-At pressure of 60 p.s.i. t-Low discharge apparently due to partiaily closed valve, but this could not be verified.

6

November, 1951. WATER SUPPLY Saint John's, NOd.

FIRE FLOW TESTS-Flow tests to determine avail­able fire supplies were made at fifteen locations about the city and in both pressure services, using groups of one to three hydrants. Tests were made on July 16 between 9 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. excepting in the waterfront and mer­cantile districts where tests \vere made between 5.30 and 7.30 a.m. Supply and domestic consumption conditions were normal for the time of day and season although normal domestic consumption must be considered excessive. Test results were given in Table No. 2.

pROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS-The city has just received full reports on a pitometer leakage survey and a consulting engineers' survey of the water supply system with proposals for the extension and rehabilitation of the system over a ten-year period. The recommendations made are uow under study for possible action.

The proposals under consideration include the intro­duction of an additional source of gravity supply from Petty Harbour Long Pond, located to the west of the city; a programme of metering of domestic serYices and reduc­tion of leakage and wastage, strengthening of the distri­bution grid by laying additional large diameter feeder mains and the cleaning and lining of existing trunk mains. Other phases of the plan include installation of pressure reJncing valves between pressure services, adjustment of service boundaries, installation of "vater treatment facili­ties :;;nd organization of a completely sep::lrate water depart­ment. Effort~ are presently being directed at reduction of leakage and waste in distribution and services with some success and information is being gathered for the improve­ment of plans and records.

CONCLUSIONS-Organization-While no major im­provements have been made in the watenvorks system in many years, the present city engineer is following an aggressive policy aimed at extension of the system to cope with growth of the city and at the eventual rehabilitation of the present plant. Reorganization of the water depart­ment and addition of technical staff as proposed will be of considerable value in improving the quality of main­tenance of the water supply system and keeping of ade­qua le records.

Supply-A comparison between the flow tests of this survey and those of a special survey made in 1943 shows very similar results which, considering a very substantial clrop in consumption since the war, indicates rapid deter­ioration of the system. Recent tests on the supply mains show a loss of carrying capacity of up to 50% on one of the 16-inch mains of each service. The reports recently st1bmitted by private consulting engineers engaged by the city indicate the inadequacies of supply and carrying capacity as well as the high percentage of wasted water and outline a suitable plan for the alleviation of these weaknesses.

The proposed introduction of an estimated three million gallons per day from Petty Harbour Long Pond to the high service from the west will relieve the \Vinsor Lake supply works, now being rapidly outgrown, and with suit-

7

able new distribution feeder mains in connection with pressure reducing valve connections to the low service, will enhance the reliability and volume of fire supply to both services.

Consumption-With the exceptionally high leakage and wastage in service connections as shown by the recent leakage survey, considerable assistance in improving con­ditions can be expected through metering of services and other measures aimed at bringing losses from these causes within reasonable bounds, as has been shown by recent efforts by the water·works department. Pressures, as well as adequacy of supply, can be thus improved.

Distribution-The lack of sufficient large feeder mains in the distribution grid severely detracts from fire flow values in many areas. The large propo1·tion of 4- and 6-inch pipe is a prominent cause of the small flows on test. A programme of strengthening of the arterial system is needed. This will necessarily be modified to fit in with the Long Pond supply and the trend of future distribution system growth.

Gate Valves-These are quite well located but certain lengthy dead-ends will unavoidably put long sections of pipe out of service due to breaks and repairs.

Hydrants-Generally fairly weii located and maintained, although spacing is somewhat excessive in most areas. Additional hydrants are required in numerous locations.

Protection-The results of the survey flow tests show the available fire supplies to be inadequate in almost all localities, and a major contributing factor to the high probability of fires assuming conflagration proportions. The seriousness of the present deficiencies in the water­works system should not be underestimated, more par­ticularly in view of the acute conflagration hazard in the city, and the necessary major steps be taken to provide adequate and reliable fire supplies as soon as possible.

FIRE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION-Basis-Fully paid; on two platoon

system.

Supervision-Under the general supervJsJon of the Attorney-General in the Department of Justice of the Province of Newfoundland. The Municipal Council of the City of St. John's has no part in the supervision or control of the St. John's Fire Department.

Administration-The fire department is a subordinate division of the Newfoundland Constabulary, >vhich provides police services in the city. Chief of Police Strange of the constabulary is also administrative officer of the fire depart­ment. He is responsible to the Attorny-General's Office for operation, maintenance and discipline of the depart­ment. He is an experienced police officer. Appointments, promotions and all policy matters are decided by the Attorney-General's Office on recommendation of the Chief of Police.

Saint John's, NOd. FIRE DEPARTMENT November, 1951.

Normal operational charge of the fire department is in the hands of the Superintendent of the Fire Department, Frederick G. Vivian, a capable and progressive fire offic·er with 25 years experience. He is responsible to the Chief of Police for all phases of operations, training and admin­istration. The Assistant Superintendent is in charge of operations in his absence. The Superintendent is recom­mended for appointment or dismissal by the Chief of Police.

TABLE OF OFFICERS

NAME AND RANK Present Age Years Appointment Service

Superintendent Frederick Vivian ---------- 1946 51 25

Assistant Superintendent William Cadigan ----- 1950 40 16

District Chief William Baker

------------~- 1946 53 27

District Chief Frederick Holden -------- 1948 41 18

Membership--Total 82, fire force 80, one vacancy unfilled.

TABLE OF MEMBERSHIP

Superintendent ---------------------------------------- 1 Assistant Superintendent --------------------------- 1 District Chief ________ ------------------------------- 1 District Chief (Fire Alarm)_________________ 1

Sergeants ------------------------------------------ 7 Fire Constables ----------------------------------------- 69

Fire Force ------------------------------ 80 Mechanic ------------------------------------ _ 1 Stenographer _____ ----------------------------- 1

Total -------------------------------- 82

Expenses-The fire department is financed as part of the Newfoundland Constabulary by the Department of Justice. The city makes a comparatively small contribu­tion towards maintenance of fire protection.

Appointment and Promotion-Appointments and pro­motions are made by the Department of Justice upon recommendation of the Chief of Police upon suggestion by the Fire Department Superintendent. Appointment is contingent upon suitable age limits, physical fitness exam­ination and a six months' probationary period. Promotions are based upon seniority and ability, records of personnel being kept by superintendent.

Retirement and Pension-Retirement age for constables is set at 55 years or 25 years of service; for officers at age 60. A non-contributory pension is provided by the provincial government. Some accident compensation 1s provided, with small benefits for dependents.

8

COMPANIES-Organization-Two ladder, four pumper and one salvage companies are in service in the three stations. One pumper company in each station has a duty crew of two officers and seven men; the fourth, one officer and three men. The ladder companies have one and two-man crews and the salvage company, two men. In addition, there are men on watch duty who do not respond with apparatus and one driver who is assigned to the foam tender. Two senior officers are assigned to pumper companies in two stations; a corresponding posi­tion in the third station is at present vacant.

Maintenance-Company membership is divided into two platoons working on 24-hour shifts. Officers work 48-hour tours with 24 hours off and receive one hour off eac-h day for dinner. Men receive 14 days holidays each year and officers receive 21 days. No substitutes are employed during sickness or vacation. Offshift members are sub­ject to recall to duty during major fires. Average sick list is three men; vacations take four men off from April to December.

Distribution-No stations are located in the principal mercantile or congested residential districts. The Central Station, housing the two ladder companies, two pumper companies and the salvage company, is located in a resi­dential district near the centre of the city and at a high elevation so that companies respond downhill to the districts mentioned. Distance to the centre of the mercantile district is three-quartet-s of a mile. The East and West Stations are located east and west of the principal mer­cantile and congested residential districts and are in a position for response to them along the east-";est thorough­fares without using the more severe north-south grades. Each houses a pumper company and is about three-quarters of a mile from the centres of both districts. The newly built residential districts outlying to the north and west are for the most part within one mile of the nearest pumper company and 1% miles of a ladder company. In winter, a horse-drawn hose sleigh and a pump sleigh are quartered in each station and the city service truck in the Central Station.

APPARATUS-Pumpers-There are four triple and one quadruple combination pumping engine in service; all of Bickle-Seagrave manufacture with Seagrave two­stage centrifugal pumps and powered by V -12 engines. Ages vary from two to eight years. The quad and one pumper were taken over from the Royal Canadian Navy after two years service. All carry standard hard suction hose and in some cases 2% -inch soft suctions. Regular strainers, pony siamese, adapters, water pressure and com­pound gauges are carried. All pumpers have two hose boxes for simultaneous or reverse lays and carry 1,200 to 1,500 feet of 2% -inch hose. The quad carries 550 feet of 2% -inch hose in rolls, being without regular hose bed. A 1938 Bickle pumper is in operable condition but said unsafe for use due to defective brakes. Pumper capacities range from 625 to 1,000 g.p.m. in both A and B classes.

Pumper Tests-The four pumpers in service, the quad and the three trailer pumps were subjected to short service

No\·ember, 1951. FIRE DEPARTMENT Saint John's, Nfld.

tests at 6 foot draft during this survey to determine their condition and the ability of their opefators. Several minor defects were observed and corrected. Pumps performed generally well except for the trailer pumps which showed considerable loss of engine power. Proficiency of oper­ators and maintenance of apparatus appeared to be fair.

Ladder Trucks-Apparatus includes a 1945 American La France 100-foot steel hydraulic aerial ladder truck of four-wheel cab-over-engine type and the previously men­tioned quadruple combination, an 833 g.p.m. Bickle­Seagrave 1943 model with 120-gallon booster water tank. Both units are powered by V-12 engines. The aerial carries 201 feet of "\vooden, truss type ground ladders and the quad carries 182 feet of similar ladders. Lengths of ladders on each truck range from 50 feet to 12 and 16 feet.

Hose Wagons-There are two hose wagons with locally built wooden bodies mounted on 1% -ton standard cab International chassis, 1947 and 1950 models, with single rear wheels. These units each carry 1,000 to 1,200 feet of single jacket 2% -inch hose in double boxes, 600 and 750 feet of rubber-clad 1%-inch hose, a portable Baja.'< 230 g.p.m. gasoline powered centrifugal pump, 30-foot cxtensie>n and 12-foot roof ladders, hand extinguishers and other equipment.

Foam Tender-The foam tender consists of a 1942 Chevrolet 1% -ton chassis with standard cab and a locally built wooden body. Equipment carried includes three 2% -inch chemical foam generators, four 2% -inch and two 1% -inch mechanical foam units, five fog applicators, 500 feet of 1 %-inch hose, two asbestos suits, 54 gallons of foam liquid, foam powder and small equipment.

Salvage Wagon-Consists of a 1943, 1 %-ton Chevrolet chassis with cab and locally built wooden body. Equip­ment c< rried includes a carbon dioxide hose reel operating from a battery of two 50-pound cylinders, 25 salvage covers from 8 x 8 to 20 x 20 feet, 6 brooms, 5 mops, 6 sets of chemical breathing apparatus, 2 shovels, 5 axes, sledge, ropes, electric lanterns, hammers and nails, asbestos gloves, battering ram, crmvbars, 30-foot extension ladder, plaster hooks, and other small equipment.

Auxiliary Vehicles-Other vehicles operated by the department are a %-ton Chevrolet pick-up truck for the super;ntcndcnt's transportation and two 1% -ton Mack trucks for fire alarm maintenance and general service.

Horse-Drawn Apparatus-Horse-drawn apparatus for winter use includes one small city service ladder truck on runners with two horse hitch, three one horse hose sleighs, three one horse sleighs for carrying the portable pumps and a sled for carrying one of the trailer pumps. The hose sleighs carry 500 feet of 2% -inch hose, axes, hand extin­guishers, playpipes and small tools. Pump sleighs carry a 230 g.p.m. single-stage centrifugal portable pump and small equipment. The city service ladder truck carries a number of ground ladders and small equipment. Standard overhead swinging harness is used.

9

Horses-Sufficient horses to operate the above apparatus are hired for about three months during the winter and are accommodated in stables in each station.

Apparatus Maintenance and Fuel-All repairs are made by or under the supervrs10n of the fire department mechanic who also works on police vehicles. Repair facilities consist of a small frame garage 'vith grease-pit, located adjacent to the Central Fire Station. Building is too small to accommodate apparatus. Major repairs must be made at public garages. A stock of essential parts is maintained. No replacement pieces are available for apparatus out of service. N. B. F. U. pumper tests are not made. Records on each piece of apparatus are kept and bi-weekly inspections made by opera tors. Gasoline is supplied from an 800-gallon buried tank with outside dis­pensing pump at the central station. This also supplies police vehicles. Fuel is delivered to apparatus in safety cans. Cans of spare gasoline for portable pumps are carried on the hose wagons.

EQUIPMENT-First Aid Appliances-The four pum­pers each carry 15-pound and 4-pound carbon dioxide, 2% -gallon foam and one-quart vaporizing liquid hand ex­tinguishers. The quad carries two foam and two vaporiz­ing liquid type and the aerial truck one each of these. The two hose wagons each carry a 2% -gallon pump tank, foam and soda-add extinguishers. The salvage wagon carries ruro 2% -gallon foam and one one-quart vaporiz­ing liquid extinguishers. The foam tender carries one of vaporizing liquid type only.

The four pumpers and the quad each carry a booster \Vater tank of from 80 to 250 gallons capacity and 150 to 250 feet of %-inch booster hose. The salvage wagon carries a battery of two 50-pound carbon dioxide cylinders with hose reel and nozzle. Although 1"% -inch hose is carried in some cases, it is seldom used. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are recharged locally.

Heavy Stream Equipment-Equipment carried for heavy streams includes two deluge sets of three-way gun type "·ith tips from 1 "% to 2 inches and an aerial ladder pipe with 100 feet of 3-inch hose, a three-way siamese and tips from 1% to 1% inches.

Hose-Hose is double-jacket, cotton, rubber-lined, of well known brands in standard 1%- and 2% -inch sizes excepting that carried on the two hose wagons which is single-jacket and intended chiefly for semi-rural service. Hose is purchased by tender under 400 p.s.i. acceptance test. Generally 1,000 feet or more is purchased annually. No annual tests are made but hose is pressure tested when any flaw is detected in use. Hose is dried in towers after use. Reserve hose for change is kept in each station, usually sufficient for two changes on each pumper. Each pumper carries 1,200 to 1,500 feet of 2 liz -inch hose.

A fairly good selection of playpipes of shut-off and fog types is carried as well as distributing and cellar types. Double male and double female connections, siamese, wyes and a number of adapters to Fort Pepperell thread are carried. A hose coupling expander is maintained.

TABLE OF STATIONS, SHOWING LOCATIONS, APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT

Location and Survey Plan J

' Hose Carried Total Pumper Total Normal in Feet Feet Salvage

Station Reference Const'n. Men Apparatus Crew Ground Capacity Covers 2.V.-inch !)-~·inch Ladders G. P.M.

Pumper 7 1,500 100 38 1,000 --c Pumper 4 1,200 -- 36 626 --E Aerial 2 250 -·- 201 -- --N Bonaventure Avenue at Quad 1 550 . --- 182 833 --T Fort Townshend ___ Cone. 18 Salvage 2 --- - 30 ---- 25 R s. 14 13. 102 No. 32 Foam A Tender 1 ---- 500 --- -~-- --L Utility

! Trucks -- --- --- ---- --- ---

E Duckworth Street at Pumper 8 1,500 100 A Ordnance Street 36 1,000 ---- --- F.R. 19 Hose-s I

T s. 12 B.86 No.90 wagon -- 1,200 600 42 ---· 2

-

w L.e Marchant Road near Pumper 7 1,300 ---~ 36 750 ___ ..

E Bennett Avenue ---·-- F.R. 19 Pumper -- ---- --- 46 833 ----s

S.32 B. 245 No. 266

I

Hose-T wagon - 1,000 750 42 --- 2

Booster 2Y2-inch Playpipes Tank,

Gallons

4 250 5 200

---- --4 120 2 ---

-- -40--

-- ---

4 90

3 ---

5 80 - 80

3 --

Heavy Stream

Appliances

---1 1 --

--

-

--

-

• 1 --

-

en Ill ;· ...

November, 1951. FIRE DEPARTMENT Saint John's, Nfld.

Couplings-Hose couplings are of usual screw type; th t of 2% -inch has 5 threads per inch and outside male ha ad diameter of 3.25 inches. Hydrant suction con­

t r~ions are 5 ~ threads per inch, 5- and 15 I 16-inch nee lV • h · "d d" outside male diameter and have a 4 74 -me mst e tameter.

Salvage Equipment-The salvage wagon carries 25 sal­vage covers in 8 x 8 to 20 x 20-foot sizes, six brooms, five mops, two shovels, hammers and nails. The two hose wagons each carry two salvage covers.

Minor Equipment-In addition to the equipment noted above, apparatus carries the following fairly well standard­ized equipment. Pumpers-24-foot extension and 12-foot roof ladders, plaster book, two or three electric hand lanterns, two or more axes, crowbar, mechanical foam generator and playpipe, life nets in some cases, s_ever_al lengths of rope, hose spanners, hydrant keys, first a1d ktt, rubber gloves, asbestos gloves, siamese, 'i\-ye, fog and shut­off playpipes, Fort Pepperell adapters, suction hose fittings and small tools and equipment. Ladder Trucks-Pike poles, three or four pick axes, ropes, door openers, roof cutter, crowbars, shovels, hose-straps, safety belts, and on the quad, playpipes and suction hose fittings as well as small tools and equipment. Hose Wagons-230 g.p.m. portable gasoline centrifugal pump and suction hose, 30-foot truss extension and 12-foot roof ladders, 600 feet of 1% -inch rubber-clad hose in rolls, coarse salt, two salvage covers, two pick axes, two shovels, water thief, 1%- and 2% -inch playpipes, wyes and small tools and equipment. Salvage Wagon-Six oxygen generating type self-contained masks, four pick a.xes, two plaster hooks, two electric hand lanterns, crowbars, 30-foot extension ladder, two shovels, flathead axe, sledge hammer, ropes, coarse salt, hydrant cut-off, battering ram, door opener, hose clamp, five hand axes, asbestos gloves and other small equipment.

Reserve Equipment-In addition to equipment carried on motor apparatus there are a third Hajax 230 g.p.m. and a Coventry 250 g.p.m. portable pumps, three Hale 420 g.p.m. trailer pumpers with single-stage centrifugal pumps and hard suction hose, several reserve ladders, six self-contained masks, playpipes, extinguishers, extensive reserves of foam pmvder and liquids as well as replace­ments for various equipment.

SUMMARY OF APPARATUS

Pumpers:

1,000 g.p.m. 833 g.p.m. 750 g.p.m. 625 g.p.m.

Hose vVagons

Ladder Trucks :

Aerial --·------------------------------------Quadruple _ ----------------------------­

Chief's Truck _ ------------------------------­Supply Truck _ -----------------------------Fire Alarm Truck _______ ---------------

In Service

2 1 1 1 2

1 1 1 1 1

Hose:

3-inch 100' 20,300'

2,000' 800'

2 1

29 6

2% -inch -------------------------------------1% -inch -----------------------------------

Ground Ladders -------------------------------­Deluge Sets ------------------------··-------­Ladder Pipes -----------------------------­Salvage Covers -----------------------------Oxygen Masks ____ -----·-·-· -------------- ---- -

FIRE STATIONS-The fire department is well housed in three stations which are fairly well located about the city and exit on to suitable streets. Headquarters and fire alarm equipment are in the Central Station which is located on the grounds of Fort Townshend, opening toward Banaventure Avenue. This building is two story and base­ment, apparatus floor and walls of concrete with upper floor and roof supported on wood joists. Station is widely detached on three sides but some exposure exists at the rear from the frame two-story police stable building. Heating is by low pressure steam, lighting by electricity with wiring in rigid conduit or BX cable and in good con­dition. Apparatus doors are spring-loaded lifting type, five in number. Suitable accommodation for men and officers is located on upper floor. Stables for four horses are provided at the rear of the apparatus floor. A hose-drying tower of insufficient height is provided. The building is in good condition and egress to the street is excellent. West Fire Station is a two-story and basement reinforced concrete fire-resistive building on Le Marchant Road near Bennett Avenue. It has three spring-loaded type appar­atus doors facing the street and one door for horse-drawn apparatus at the side and at basement level. Living quarters are on the upper floor, stables in the basement. Heating is by hot water furnace; wiring is in rigid con­mit. Building was erected in 1943. Station is suitable and in good condition. Exposures are light.

11

East Fire Station is a two-story and basement fire-resis· tive, concrete building on Duckworth Street at the cor­ner of Ordnance Street. It has one, two-place, power operated apparatus door. A two-door apparatus floor is located in the rear of the building for horse-drawn apparatus. Stables are located in this section. Building was placed in service in 1949, is heated by hot water furnace, has wiring in rigid conduit. There is a short hose-drying tower. Station is suitable, in good condition and well located. Exposures are moderate on two sides, widely detached on others.

All stations have suitable slide-poles, water pressure gauges, enclosed watch rooms on apparatus floors.

OPERATIONS-Discipline-Regulations governing per­sonnel and department operations are formulated by the Chief of Police, generally upon suggestions of the Super­intendent, and subject to ratification of the office of the Attorney-General. Rules were last printed in 1895 with subsequent rulings included in standing orders. Disciplin­ary action by the Chief of Police may take the form of fines, reprimands, suspension, demotion or discharge.

Saint John's, Nfld. FIRE DEPARTMENT November, 1951.

Regulations appear to be adequately enforced and discipline good. The men are members of a union.

Drills and Training-Drills are held by all companies, providing about six hours training per week for each man. Generally under the direction of the Superintendent or Assis­tant Superintendent, drills take the form of foot drill, indi­vidual company and inter-company hose and ladder evolu­tions according to recognized methods, and first aid. Out­door drills are usually held in the large Fort Townshend square adjacent to the Central Station for four months a year, outside companies moving in. In winter, drills and lec­tures are held. All men receive general training without specialization. There is no advanced training and no drill tower. New recruits receive no special training, joining first line companies after about one month's service. Building inspections by company members are not made. Pump operators receive little drill. Companies generally remain in service during drills.

Response to Alarnu-Telephone alarms {or oil burner, grass or automobile fires may be responded to by a single pumper company. Chimney fires are ordinarily handled by a hose wagon manned by two men from a pumper com­pany. Alarms for fires outside of the built-up city area are usually responded to by a hose wagon with an officer and two men. According to a running card, box alarms and telephone alarms for building fires receive the follow­ing responses : In the congested value mercantile district­Aerial ladder, two pumpers and the salvage wagon. Heavily built residential areas-Quadruple combination, two pum­pers and the salvage wagon. Light residential areas-Two pumpers and salvage wagon. No provision is made for multiple alarm responses. Additional apparatus is sum­moned by telephone. No relocations of apparatus are proYided. The off-shift is subject to recall for duty at serious fires when ordered by the superintendent. Watch duty men in each station telephone the men of that station. Where men have no telephones, neighbors receive the calls by arrangement. Off-shift response is said to be 100%, excepting those permitted to be out of the city. The off-shift men respond to their stations for equipment and instructions to report to the fire or man hose wagons. Empty apparatus may be returned for reloads of hose. The Superintendent responds to all building fires, with generally at least one other senior officer responding on any but chimney fires.

The older and more congested half of the city is located on a steep side hill, with the congested value district at the foot of the hill and running along the waterfront. The East and \Vest Stations are located more or less part way up the hill and toward the eastern and western ends of the more heavily built upon part. The Central Station is located near the centre of the city and at the top of the hill. Response of apparatus from East and \Vest Stations to the congested value and congested residential districts is fairly satisfactory in easterly and westerly directions, but severe short grades are likely to be en­countered in a north south direction. Response to these areas from the Central Station is by way of severe down-

12

grades, such as to be extremely hazardous under winter conditions. Grades in the congested residential district are such as to make hose laying and manoeuvering of apparatus at fires very difficult.

Prineipal streets are paved and in generally good con­dition. The majority of streets in residential areas are unpaved and in some cases are in poor condition. A con­siderable number of streets running north and south in the congested value and congested residential districts are impassable to north-bound traffic and hazardous to south­bound traffic due to severity of the grades. The newer residential districts to the north and west are free from severe grades. Railway crossings are not generally located such as to delay apparatus response.

Since the fire department is operated by the province, it is expected to respond to all alarms where it can be of assistance, regardless of location. For this reason, a con­siderable number of outside rural fires are fought by the department. Usual initial response c·onsists of one hose wagon, an officer and two men. It is reported that heavy apparatus does not usually leave the hydrant protection area.

Horse-drawn apparatus responds in conjunction with motor apparatus in winter where there is a possibility of streets being impassable to the latter, particularly in out­lying districts of the city. It is reported that because of mild winters, no runs were made in 1950 and only three runs were made in 1951.

Fire Methods-The department makes good use gener­ally of standard fire practices and evolutions. Hose carrying apparatus have double boxes and lay hose both to and from hydrants or lay two lines simultaneously. Hose of 11h -inch size is not frequently used and it is not the practice to lay lines at all fires or to back up booster lines at all times. Nozzle tips on 2% -inch playpipes are from 1 to 11,4 inches in diameter. Fog nozzles are used in some cases. Pumpers are used comparatively infrequently in the congested value district. Deluge sets are used chiefly to protect exposures. \Vatch lines are left and apparatus returned to service. Salvage crews clean up premises and overhaul as well as spread covers. The department has no set procedure for utilizing sprinkler systems.

First aid hand extinguishers are of suitable class B and C types. Reliance is placed on booster lines for small class A fires. Large concentrations of foam equipment are available.

Ladder companies are unable to function as such at fires without manpower assistance from pumper companies due to smallness of crews, and department is handicapped in fire methods due to insufficient personnel generally.

Reports and Records-Reports are made by each com­pany on alarm responses and all special events at each station. The usual station logs are kept and daily reports made. A log is kept on each piece of apparatus. Reports are relayed by the superintendent to the Chief of Police and thence to the Department of Jus tic e. A complete

November, 1951. FIRE DEPARTMENT Saint John's, NOd.

annual report is made by the superintendent containing recommendations for improvements. Records are gener­ally well kept, but some records appear to be not readily accessible to the superintendent.

pROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS-Although no changes or improvements are in hand or approved, nun;erous improvements have been asked for in the 1951-1952 estimates submitted by the superintendent. These include provision of a drill tower and other training facilities, erection of a repair garage for the department, addition of a 500 g.p.m. pumper adapted for rural service, install­ation of two-way radio in fire alarm headquarters and fire department Yehicles and replacement of the salvage wagon. Not submitted in estimates, but advocated by the super­intendent are an additional fire station for the vicinity of \Vater Street and Job's Crossing, placing in service of a second aerial ladder truck and an increase in personnel.

CONCLUSIONS-The existing control and adminis­trative basis under which the fire department operates is ponderous and fails to place the authority for municipal fire protection in the hands of those most directly con­cerned. This basis of organization has resulted in inefficiency of operation and has had a deleterious effect upon the moral of the department's officers. Absence of control by municipal authorities, lack of authority by the fire chief (Superintendent) over the department and lack of powers by the fire department to detect and control fire hazards through fire preYention inspections are prominently undesirable features. There are in evidence, indications of a lack of understanding of fire protection affairs by those in financial and policy control and the superintendent is hampered by an inability to adequately approach these authorities. Operation as a subordinate division of the police force is the cause of further admin­istrative inefficiencies.

Internal organization and efficiency of the fire depart­ment is fairly good and operations are under the direction of a superintendent who is an experienced and capable fire officer. Discipline is good. Appointments and pro­motions are nominally under personal selection by the superintendent on a basis of ability, suitability and senior­ity, but some appointments appear to have been made against the superintendent's judgment and there has been unreasonable delay in appointment to a district chief's vacancy.

Pumping capacity of apparatus, including auxiliary trailer units is just adequate. Apparatus is modern, of generally good type and fairly well maintained. Apparatus for a number of additional companies is required, Per­sonnel is insufficient to properly maintain the existing com­panies ; ladder companies are so undermanned as to be ineffective as such. Running distances are not excessive although street conditions are frequently severe due to grades.

Hose and equipment are generally well provided and standardized on apparatus. Department is well housed in three stations which are of good construction and well

maintained. In view of the high structural hazards, an additional station is required in or near the congested value district. Alarm responses are prompt and fairly good considering the number of existing companies although suitable provision for multiple alarm response is lacking. The fire department is of insufficient strength for adequate protection of the city and practice of covering a larger area further endangers the city. Training and drill methods appear to be fair but there is a lack of facilities, C'ourses for recruits and advanced officer training. Fire methods are fair; fire prevention very limited. Records are good. The use of horse-drawn apparatus in the city in winter should be eliminated through efficient snow removal, particularly in outlying areas.

13

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM

ORGANIZATION-The fire alarm system is essentially a part of the fire department and is under direct control of the superintendent of the department who is in turn under jurisdiction of the Chief of Police.

The system is in the charge of a fire department officer who is directly responsible to the superintendent. District Chief Fred Holden was officer in charge of fire alarm at time of survey; he was appointed to his present rank in 1948 and has a total of 18 years service with the depart­ment. The fire alarm force, both for operation and main­tenance, consists of fire department personnel. Usually, one fireman is on a regular detail for fire alarm mainten­ance with additional men assigned as required for major repair or extension.

HEADQUARTERS-Fire alarm equipment is installed in a specially reserved section of the central fire station, a building of concrete joisted construction, located on the old Fort Townshend grounds at Bonayenture Avenue, subject to some exposure from a frame stable building at the rear. Battery room and workshop are in the basement of the building. Heating is by low pressure steam; light­ing is by electricity with wiring in rigid or flexible metal conduit. Internal protection by first-aid appliances readily available; outside protection from nearby hydrant.

EQUIPMENT -Apparatus at Headquarters-Of auto­matic type, Gamewell make, installed by the Northern Electric Coy. Ltd., of Montreal in 1944-45. Apparatus is in good condition, conforming to requirements for a Class "B" system, with provision for automatic ground return operation of circuits and the use of fire alarm circuits for voice communication to central office from outside points. Apparatus in the central office consists of one 12-circuit protector and line terminal panel and cabinet, one 10-circuit rectifier and floating battery con­trol switch board, one automatic battery charging relay, one operators' pedestal equipped with relays for 10 box line and 2 alarm circuits, with recording devices and trans­mitters timed to operate at .50 seconds between blows, together with devices for the transmitting of special signals manually over box and alarm circuits. The pedestal al"'"

Saint John's, Nfld. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM November, 1951.

includes one marginal relay outfit with 8 relays, 8 pilot lights and 8 cam lever switches for use in connection with voice transmission over fire alarm circuits from police telephone or fire alarm boxes.

One Master clock, self-winding type is provided and is in connection with a time and date stamp on the recording set. The clock sounds test signals twice daily and is under routine check for accuracy.

Box circuits enter headquarters in two 10-conductor lead sheathed aerial cables, each cable being carried to the line terminal and protector cabinet in the central office room. Circuits to the operators' pedestal and the battery control switch board are in conduit. \Viring to batteries is also in conduit. Alarm circuits enter headquarters from under­ground in a single 8-conductor lead sheathed cable, carried to a terminal panel with wooden enclosure in the basement of the headquarters (central fire station) building. From this panel, wiring to central office switch boards is in rigid conduit.

Current Supply-Current for operating box and alarm line circuits is obtained from copper oxide type, low rate rectifiers with a floating battery of storage cells for each circuit. A high rate rectifier is provided to give a higher charging rate to any battery when required. Power for the rectifiers is obtained from the Newfoundland Light & Power Co., Ltd., commercial power supply system over a single circuit at 110 volts, 60 cycles. There is no form of emergency or auxiliary power supply but the existing battery capacity is sufficient for 60 hours operation of the system without recharge.

Low rate rectifier units, which are contained in the battery control switch board, provide for voltage and current regulation on the d.c. side with current adjusted to 115-120 milliamperes which, with an adjusted current value of 100 milliamperes on the individual circuits, pro­vides a trickle charge of 15-20 milliamperes to the battery which is floating on each circuit. The d.c. side of the high rate rectifier is controlled as required with current values ranging from . 75 to 1.5 ampe1·es.

Storage batteries for the various circuits comprise a working total of 198, glass jar, paste filled, lead plate type, 2-volt cells with covers. Individual circuit batteries com­prise from 19 to 24 cells, mounted on glass rods on porcelain insulators, the whole supported on standard battery racks. The headquarters local circuit battery is composed of duplicate, two cell "Ironclad" units, also mounted in the battery room. Twenty spare 2-volt cells are on hand for replacement purposes. Batteries are protected by 3-ampere cartridge type fuses on the racks and wiring therefrom to control panel in the central office is in conduit. Battedes are in good condition and are housed in a partitioned off section of the basement of headquarters building; partitions are of wood construc­tion. Battery room is lighted by electricity with vapour proof type fixtures; ventilation of the room is inadequate.

Apparatus at Fire Stations and Elsewhere-At central fire station (Fire Department Headquarters), 10 inch, pre-wound single stroke gongs are installed in the apparatus

hall, dormitory and basement respectively. A punch register recording set equipped with time and date stamp is installed in the fire alarm central office which is within the apparatus hall. A night light switch is also provided. These devices are all in connection with the station local alarm circuit. At the East End and vVest End Fire Stations, alarm devices are identical, comprising 10-inch single stroke gongs in the apparatus room and dormitory respectively, with a punch register recording set suitably mounted in the watch office. Each station is served by an alarm circuit and one or more box circuit loops. Trans­fer switches are provided on the recording set shelf in the watch office whereby station alarm devices can be transferred from the alarm circuit to box circuits if required ; pin plug type connectors are provided for utilizing box circuit loops. Alarm devkes are in circuit at all times and are not silenced at night.

Circuits entering the East and West End fire stations are protected by 5 ampere, 2,000-volt cartridge fuses and neon type arresters, panel mounted and enclosed in steel cabinets.

The only alarm devices at locations other than fire stations consist of a 6-inch tap bell in the Waterworks Department office and a similar bell in the police office in the Court House building. These bells are in connec­tion with box circuits.

Vibrating type, loud ringing bells are installed at fire stations, controlled by switches at the watch desk. Bells are on local circuits energized through transformers on the 110-volt a.c. commercial power supply. A battery operated signal system is provided at the central fire station with vibrating bells in the basement and in the stables at the rear.

Boxes-Description-Total number 167; 9 are auxiliar­ized with from two to five remote control stations in buildings; each auxiliary alarm installation being equipped v..-ith a local reset supervisory panel. All boxes are of "Three-Fold;' Gamewell make, trigger pull, quick action type. Boxes are pre-wound and set to transmit 4 rounds of box number with a timing of .5 seconds between blows. They are equipped with line terminals, shunt, morse key, signal bell, telephone jack and arrestor. Boxes are all grounded directly by %-inch rods but in some location-s where this is insufficient, an au.-x:iliary connection is made to a gwunded telephone cable messenger wire at the nearest point. Two boxes only are located within build­ings; one only is attached to the outside of a building. Boxes at 14 locations in the principal mercantile and central districts are mounted on cast-iron pedestals, jointly with police telephone boxes. The remaining 151 boxes are mounted on poles carrying power or signal circuits. Pedestals are provided with lights for night identification but which were not in service at time of survey. The location of pole mounted boxes is indicated by painted bands in most cases but lights for night identification are not provided. Boxes are mainly located at street inter­sections with a few only at intermediate points. In most instances boxes are readily discernible.

14

NoYember, 1951. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM Saint John's, NOd.

Tests of 12 boxes, including one or more on most circuits were made during this survey. All were in an operating condition and transmitted signals to headquarters. Timing of signals was fairly uniform but in a few instances, corrosion of terminals was noted and the operation of signal bells was faulty. Voice communication from boxes to headquarters over fire alarm circuits, using a portable telephone set was good in all cases.

Distribution-In the congested value, principal mercan­tile and waterfmnt districts, distribution of boxes is generally good. Boxes are installed on streets grvmg access to the dock area on the north side of the harbour but none are provided on the wharves or in vicinity of buildings thereon, this lack being more noticeable at the eastern end of the dock area. On the south side of the harbour, no important group of buildings is at a greater distance than 800 feet from a box. In the central con­gested residential district, box distribution is fairly good. In other residential districts, only a few streets are with­out boxes and, except for the areas now being developed, few closely built upon sections are more than 800 feet from a box. Additional boxes are required, principally in the northern and western sections of the city which arc expanding rapidly. Important hospitals and other institutions have auxiliary boxes in connection with the fire alarm system.

Circuits-There are 8 box and two alarm, all metallic and normally closed circuits in service. All box circuits are of aerial construction with short runs of cable con­struction where entering headquarters. Alarm circuits are also of aerial construction carried into headquarters by a short run of underground cable. The total length of box circuits, including the small amount in cable, is about 45 line miles. The longest circuit, which serves the extreme south-western part of the city, a mental hospital outside the city and the south side of the harbour, has a length of about 13 line miles. The shortest circuit, which is about 2. 75 miles in length, serves a portion of the central and northern residential districts. The two alarm circuits serving the East and \Vest End Fire Stations respectively, are about 1.5 and 2. 75 miles in length respectively. One side of the alarm circuit serving the West End (Le 11larchant Road) Fire Station and one box circuit are carried in aerial cable for a short run in vicinity of the former Vlest End (New Gower and Bambrick Streets) Fire Station, now demolished. This cable formerly served the old station. vVith one exception, circuits entering privately owned buildings are from auxi1iarized boxes only. Circuits are not overloaded in view of the automatic ground return operation feature of the system. Up-to-date plans of circuit layout and box locations are available.

Open aerial construction of circuits is mainly No. 8 gauge hard-drawn copper conductor with triple braid weatherproof insulation. A small amount of No. 10 gauge wire of similar type is in use. Joints on individual con­ductors are generally made with special press clamps. About 20% of open aerial circuits are carried on poles jointly with power lines, generally at potentials not exceed-

15

ing 220 volts. The greater portion of aerial circuits are carried on poles jointly with other signal circuits. At one location it was noted that circuits were carried on racks jointly \vith primary power distribution lines from the Power Company's Job's Bridge Road sub-station. Mount­ing of circuit wires is generally on porcelain insulators on cross-arms or wooden brackets, generally below other wires. Open aerial wiring is mainly in good condition but in one or two instances it was noted that wires were carried in close proximity to, or over buildings. \Viring of one circuit, where carried to box inside a building in the mercantile district was noted as being of a temporary nature only.

An extension of the aerial circuit serving the southern and south-western part of the city is laid underground beneath the Canadian National Railway right-of-way at Syme's Bridge. A special 4 conductor armoured cable, about 100 feet in length is used at this point, being carried up poles to connect with open aerial circuit wiring on either side of the tracks.

Aerial cables, supported on messenger wire, are in­stalled for short runs and serve to carry box circuits to headquarters from open aerial circuit distribution points. Two cables are in service, each is lead sheathed contain­ing ten, 16 gauge rubber insulated conductors. One cable is carried south from headquarters to aerial distribution panels at intersections of Bonaventure Avenue and Harvey Road and Queen's Road and Garrison Hill respectively, a total distance of about 750 feet. The second cable is carrieJ north of headquarters to an aerial circuit distri­bution panel at the intersection of Bonaventure Avenue and Merrymeeting Road, a distance of about 300 feet. A short section of 16 gauge, 10 conductor lead sheathed aerial cable formerly serving the original \Vest End Fire Station, now demolished, is still in service and contains both sides of a box circuit and one side of one alarm cir­cuit. Cable connects with open aerial circuit wiring at a junction panel at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and Job Street. Distribution panels at points of junction between open and cable wiring together with circuit protection devices are enclosed in cast-iron boxes, mounted on poles in each instance.

The two alarm circuits enter headquarters in a com­paratively short run of 8-conductor lead sheathed cable laid underground from the aerial circuit distribution panels at Harvey Road and Queen's Road respectively. Both sides of one circuit and one side of the second circuit enter the cable at Queen's Road and Garrison Hill, the other side of the second circuit entering at Harvey Road and Bonaventure Avenue. The cable enters the basement of headquarters and, jointly with the fire department tele­phone cable, is carried to a terminal strip enclosed in a wooden cabinet, a fire in which might result in failure of both cables.

At headquarters, circuits are protected by % and 5-ampere fuses and neon type arresters on the protector panel in the alarm office. Batteries are protected by 3-ampere fuses at the racks and one ampere fuses at the rectifiers. At fire stations and outside junction points

Saint John's, Nfld. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM November, 1951.

between open aerial wires and cables, circuits are protected by 5-ampere, 2,000-volt fuses and neon type an-esters.

TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM-A single position telephone switch board, maintained by the Avalon Telephone Company, is installed at fire alarm headquarters. An extension telephone set is provided on the board for monitoring all calls. Three trunk lines to the public exchange are provided with one line reserved exclusively for incoming fire alarm calls. The other lines are used for general fire department business. From the p.b.x., direct extension lines are carried to the East and \Vest End Fire Stations, offices of the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of the fire department, general fire department office and apparatus hall at Central Fire Station and t esidences of chief fire department officers. Extensions C~.re also carried to police office at the Court House and offices and residences of police department chief officers. No mechanical provision is made for the timing or recording of telephone calls received at fire alarm headquarters. Each fire station is provided with a private telephone for use of the firemen.

Separ;;. te and direct telephone communication facilities are provided between fire department headquarters (Central Station) and the fire department quarters at the Fort Pepperell base of the United States Air Force. This system is battery operated in conjunction with hand oper­ated magneto type generators and is used for mutual fire department aid calls.

OPERATION-Routine and Maintenance-Two oper­ators are on duty at all times; all men assigned to this work are specially trained members of the fire department. Operators work on 4-hour shifts. During daytime the superintendent is about headquarters when not otherwise employed. One fireman is on regular detail for line inspection and maintenance work with additional fire department personnel taken as required for repair work or new construction. A truck provided for general fire department service is available for fire alarm maintenance work; it is of unsuitable type and without requisite equip­ment. Box and alarm circuits are tested twice daily for current, voltage and grounds, this operation being checked by the superintendent but no records are kept. Outside circuit wiring is inspected and boxes tested monthly; records of tests are kept. A stock of box parts, gongs, re-set panels, protective devices, wire and cable, miscel­laneous parts, tools, etc., is kept at the fire alarm work­shop at headquarters. Diagrams of wiring at headquarters, together with circuit layout plans are available. Assign­ment cards are filed in the watch office at each fire station.

Alarm Transmission-Four rounds of box alarms are received and recorded at headquarters and automatically transmitted over alarm circuits by repeater relays. For telephone alarms, the fire alarm operator immediately notifies the nearest station by telephone and alerts the central station by means of the local call bell system. The third fire station is then notified by telephone. Night watch is maintained at all stations. To facilitate response

16

to alarms, the city is divided into districts, each being identified by the first digit of box numbers.

During 1950 there was a total of 823 alarms, of which 145 originated at boxes, 641 by telephone and 37 verbally. Of the total, 52 alarms were false.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS-To properly provide for the required extension of the fire alarm system in the northern parts of the city, it is proposed by the Super­intendent to re-arrange and divide two existing box circuits. This will permit the installation of additional boxes without circuit overloading. At time of survey, no authorization had been given for execution of the work involved.

CONCLUSIONS-Supervision and control of fire alarm operation is good but responsible personnel is not under definite appointment, a feature which must be regarded as unsatisfactory. Plans of the system are complete and up-to-date but records of routine headquarters operations are lacking. Inspection and maintenance of outside equip­ment is fairly good but lack of sufficient permanently appointed staff and the necessary mobile maintenance facilities is a detrimental factor. Headquarters is in a building of good construction although not completely fire­resJsttve. Headquarters apparatus is complete, of modern type, well installed and in good condition. Current supply is by rectifiers and floating storage batteries in connection with a single source of primary power. Apparatus at fire stations is complete and well installed. Street boxes are of modern pattern, fairly well maintained. Distribution of boxes is generally good in all but newly developed residential districts. Outside circuits are, C..'l:cept for short c-able runs, all in open aerial wiring in fair to good con­dition, jeopardized at certain points by installation jointly on poles or racks with high potential power lines. Circuit protection is generally good. Telephone facilities are adequate but the method of handling telephone alarms is considered poor.

FIRE DEPARTMENT AUXILIARIES POLICE DEPARTMENT-The department constitutes

a detachment of the Newfoundland Constabulary, a Pro­vincial Government force under jurisdiction of the Depart­ment of Justice. The detachment is under the direct command of Chief L. Strange, J. P., who is also the executive head of the fire department. Total membership of the force is 152 including officers, n.c.o's. and C.I.D. personnel. Headquarters is in a building of frame con­struction at Fort Townshend, west of Bonaventure Avenue, adpacent to the Central Fire Station. A police office is main­tained at the Court House which is in the principal mer­cantile district. Fourteen regular patrol beats are estab­lished covering the principal mercantile and waterfront district, all principal thoroughfares and the new housing area. Usually 18 men are assigned to patrol duty by day and 20 by night.

Equipment-Two automobiles are provided, one for the chief of department, the other for general use by the

November, 1951. FIRE DEPARTMENT AUXILIARIES Saint John's, Nfld.

C.I.D. There is one police wagon and 6 motorcycles, the latter used for traffic control work. There are no regular patrol cars. A police telephone system is installed with 14 pedestal mounted call boxes in the principal mercantile and central districts. It is maintained by the fire alarm superintendent and operates over fire alarm circuits to a special switch board at fire alarm headquarters. At time of survey, the system was not in use, said to be due to difficulty of proper maintenance.

A p.b.x. telephone switch board is installed at Police Headquarters in connection with four trunk lines to the public exchange. From the p.b.x., direct lines connect with fire alarm office telephone switch board, the Attorney­General's office and various police department offices. The police switch board is not under attendance at night but one trunk is usually connected through to the C.l.D. office. Telephones at residences of principal police department offkers are on direct lines to the p.b.x. at the fire alarm office which is under constant attendance.

Fire Service-Alarms are received at Police Head­quarters by telephone from the fire alarm office and on a tap bell over the fire alarm system at the police office in the Court House. Men on duty respond to alarms and assist the fire department by rerouting traffic and other services; fire lines are established as required. Co-operation with the fire department is said to be good but lack of organized procedure and transportation facilities for mem­bers of the force to fires are features that detract from its value.

TELEPHONE SERVICE-The Avalon Telephone Com­pany provides public telephone service to 15,000 subscribers in the City of St. John's and its environs. Within the city there are about 14,500 individual stations, a large number of which are on multi-party lines. The system

is automatic with dial operation and machine switching at a single exchange located in a building of fire-resistive con­struction without noticeable direct exposure although located on the fringe of the central congested residential area. Circuit distribution is in underground cable, the principal ones in the central districts being laid in ducts with buried cables for distribution to other points. Indi­vidual service circuits to subscribers are mainly of aerial construction direct from cables. At time of survey it was noted that there was a considerable amount of aerial cir­cuit wiring to subscribers in the principal mercantile area which was poorly installed. It appeared that some of this wiring had been abandoned although still in place.

During 1950 about 78 per cent of all fire alarms origin­ating in the city were reported by telephone.

PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION-The Newfound­land Light & Power Company, Limited, which supplies electric power in the city, maintains a mobile service crew which is made available for disconnecting services and rendering assistance to the fire department when called.

PRIVATE PROTECTION-A number of commercial buildings in the city have automatic sprinkler protection. A few buildings are equipped with inside standpipe systems with outside connections for fire department use.

OUTSIDE AID-Although no specific arrangement exists, assistance in an emergency could be expected from the fire department at the Fort Pepperell base of the United States Air Force, located just beyond the north­east limits of the city. An independent telephone system provides direct communication between the city fire alarm office and the United States Air Force base and is used solely for mutual assistance calls.

STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS AND HAZARDS BUILDING DEPARTMENT

ORGANIZATION-Supervision-The building inspec­tion department was organized in 1948 with the appoint­ment of a building inspector to function under the direction of the city engineer. The municipal council appoints the inspection staff and sits as a board of appeals, taking action on the recommendations submitted by the building inspector. Enforcement of a zoning bylaw is similarly administered.

Personnel-Building inspector is Andrew Cahill who was the original appointee and bas been employed in municipal engineering and enforcement of building regulations for the city since 1931. An office clerk is appointed to assist the inspectors of the various municipal inspection depart­ments.

Permits, Inspections and Records-An application must be made and permit obtained before construction or alter-

17

ation work is begun or a change in occupancy is to be made. Duplicate plans must be submitted. Inspections are required to be made as frequently as necessary for adequate enforcement, but are infrequent due to lack of sufficient inspection personnel. Building inspector is also charged with inspections of places of public assembly and installations for storage of flammable .liquids. Records kept are meagre, said due to lack of personnel. All plans are filed. Work on construction or the occupancy of a build­ing may be prohibited. Police do not check illegal con­struction.

BUILDING LAWS-There are no provincial building or fire-prevention regulations.

The "St. John's Building Regulations" were adopted in 1948 by the Municipal Council. They constitute a fairly comprehensive and stringent ordinance for the regulation of building construction and alterations, as well as pro­viding requirements for safeguarding public assemblies.

Saint John's, Nfld. STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS AND HAZARDS November, 1951.

The consolidated "St. John's Municipal Acts" contain a number of older and less comprehensive requirements regarding chimneys and heating plants, fire limit restric­tions and building construction.

Building heights are restricted according to type of con­struction, but not fully as to occupancy. Ordinary brick construction is limited to 45 feet, frame and other inferior buildings are limited to 30 feet in height. Permissible areas of buildings are restricted only as to portion of the building lot covered. No suitable protection for exposed windows, vertical openings or openings in fire walls is specified.

Frame construction is prohibited in the No. 1 and No. 2 Fire Limits with the exception that certain sprinklered additions may be made to existing frame buildings.

Fire walls of masonry must be at least 20 inches thick and reinforced concrete walls 9 inches thick at the top. Provisions for wall thicknesses are fairly adequate. Chimney construction and heating apparatus requirements are not complete, but fairly adequate. There are no regulations for air-conditioning equipments. Fair specification are laid down for fire stops, exits and parapets. Private fire protection must be installed to the approval of the building inspector and the chief officer of the fire department. Buildings exceeding 55 feet in height are required to have standpipes and specifications are laid down for installation. Theatre stages, large garages and basements are required to have automatic sprinkler equipments. Fire-resistive roof coyerings are required on new construction throughout the fire limits except where repairs are permitted by the building inspector and Chief of Police on wood shingle roof detached buildings.

FIRE LIMITS-Regulations pursuant to the "Municipal Acts" proyide for two fire limit area!> wherein types of construction of buildings are restricted for fire protection purposes. No. 1 Fire Limit covers the congested value district but fails to give full boundary protection. The areas included in No. 2 Fire Limit comprises areas adjoining the congested value district on the north. Boundaries of the two fire limit areas are shown on the plan accompany­ing this report.

vVithin Fire Limit No. 1, construction is limited to buildings with non-combustible exterior and party walls and fire-retardant roof coverings. Repairs or alterations are not permitted to buildings not complying except to make them comply and buildings requiring 50 per cent of replacement cost in repairs must be removed. Sprinklered frame additions may be permitted. One story waterfront and pier sheds of unprotected steel may be erected at the council's discretion.

Restrictions in Fire Limit No. 2 are similar to those of No. 1 with the exceptions that additions and repairs may be made to existing substandard buildings providing that frame additions shall not exceed 20 per cent of the volume of the original building.

ENFORCEMENT-Inspections on recently constructed or altered buildings indicate that the building code is

,being enforced, with some exceptions being made through the city council board of appeals. Insufficient inspections of buildings under construction and alterations are result­ing from the lack of sufficient inspection staff. Demolition of condemned buildings in residential district is proceeding with good effect.

CONCLUSIONS-The Building Department has been organized and equipped with a fairly suitable building code only recently, but is beginning to produce favourable results through the improved standards of buildings erected since. The programme of demolition of substandard slum housing in the congested residential area, while only beginning, is promoting fire breaks of value in this key area. The Building Department is, however, seriously hampered by the lack of sufficient inspection personnel to regulate the construction in force. The building inspector is, in addition, charged with a large part of what little fire pre\·ention work is carried out.

FIRE PREVENTION ORGANIZATION-Supervision-There is no provincial

fire marshal's office or fire-prevention regulation in the City of St. John's. There is no consolidated fire-prevention bylaw, but a number of regulations are included in the municipal acts. Enforcement of these regulations is under the jurisdiction of the building inspector although in some cases calling for the approval of the fire department.

The fire department is not empowered to conduct fire­prevention inspections except at the request of and in company with the building inspector.

18

Personnel-In addition to the building inspector, a sergeant of the fire department is placed on fire-prevention inspection work when available, chiefly for oil burner inspection. The Superintendent of the Fire Department makes some inspections in consultation with the building inspector. Relations between the two departments are good.

PERMITS, INSPECTIONS AND RECORDS-Permits are required from the fire department for the installation of oil-burning equipments and for burning of rubbish out of doors. Joint inspections are made by the building and fire departments to investigate specific hazards. There is no system of regular building to building inspections or inspections by fire department company members due to lack of authority on the part of the fire department. Bulk storage of flammable liquids is controlled by the building inspection department under building permit requirements.

Fire-prevention inspection reports are not made on regular forms. Records are kept by the fire department and letters are sent to building occupants to advise of hazards found. Fire department records are fairly good. Building department records are poor. Inspections carried out by the fire department in 1950 included 379 building and 851 oil-burner installation inspections.

November, 1951. STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS AND HAZARDS Saint John'•, NOd.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS-There are no provincial fire-prevention regulations, except the Inflammable Sub­stances Act, or enforcing agencies. Regulations in force in St. John's include certain aspects of the building regu­lations dealing with heating systems, standpipes and extin­guishers and public assembly as well as the Inflammable Substances Act and some phases of the Municipal Acts. These regulations permit limited regulation of heating plants, flammable liquids and various features of fire-pre­vention; but there is no comprehensive regulation covering the field of fire-prevention or providing the fire department with suitable authority for inspection. Enforcement is generally weak as a result. Oil-heating is fairly well regulated, flammable liquid and gas requirements are in­complete and outdated. Handling of most other flammables, explosives and dangerous materials is not adequately covered in bylaws. Some control is exercised over refuse burning.

LOCAL CONDITIONS-No explosives are stored in the city. Small amounts of small arms ammunition are stocked by retail shops. Oil storage is located on the outskirts and storage and handling take place in the south side dock area. Tank installations are fairly good but private fire protection is poor. Handling depots are not well arranged generally for fire prevention, indicating poor supervision. Two bulk storage plants are located on the hillside above the south­side dock and industrial strip, constituting a potential hazard to this area through downhill flow. Diking is fair, but subject to considerable erosion. Although gasoline dispensing systems are fairly standard, general fire-pre­vention conditions in automobile repair garages are fair to poor. Paint spray booths are poorly arranged and of substandard construction; electrical equipment is unsuit­able. Warehouses and retail stores have generally poor housekeeping. Hardware stores handle paints and oils in sealed containers in moderate quantities. Dry-cleaning plants are fairly well arranged, use high flash-point solvent, but class of buildings is inferior and cleaning rooms are not cut off. Fire extinguishers and steam lines are provided. Hazardous chemicals are not stored in signific·antly large quantities nor are there any large wholesale drug ware­houses. A number of frame carriage-building, furniture and other woodworking occupancies are noteworthy for poor housekeeping and congestion of highly flammable wood products and waste. All occupancies and building types showed indications of a lack of adequate fire-prevention supervision, guidance and enforcement. A little liquefied pet­roleum gas is used for fuel and consists of I.C.C. cylinder installations out of doors for individual buildings such as restaurants and dwellings. Bonfires and trash are fairly well regulated. Many old mercantile buildings are heated by individual stoves with long metal stovepipes. Older dwellings have braC'ket-chimneys and may be heated by a single stove. Newer buildings have hot air or hot water central system. Fairly well installed fuel oil systems are becoming common. Coal is used in older heating systems.

CONCLUSIONS-Regulation of oil-burner installations is fairly good, but most other features of fire-prevention are largely neglected due to lack of complete and stringent

19

bylaws and of a suitable and responsible enforcement agency. The building and fire departments are attempting to accomplish limited fire-prevention but are severely hampered by the lack of an instrument of authority and enforcement. Local conditions in general are poor.

ELECTRICITY ORGANIZATION AND CONTROL-Municipal con­

trol of electrical installations was commenced in 1945 by v1rtue of a specific ordinance. It is a function of the city engineer's department and is in direct charge of an electrical inspector.

Peraonnel-Mr. N. P. Brown was appointed electrical inspector in 1945 and has since continuously held that position. He is fully qualified having had 30 years previous experience in the electrical field. No assistance is pro­vided except for clerical work, the staff provided for this also serving the building inspector's department. A C'ar is provided for the inspection routine.

Permit., Inapectiona and Recorda-An application must be made in writing on a form specially provided before any electrical installation work, repairs or alterations may be commenced. A full description of the work to be done, with plans if necessary is required together with the name and address of the building owner and the name of the contractor. If, upon examination by the electrical inspec­tor, an application form indicates that the details of pro­posed work are in accordance with requirements, a permit is issued. Permit cards are required to be conspicuously posted on the building or point where electrical work is being carried out.

Upon completion of electrical work or any part of work which is to be concealed, the contractor is required to notify the electrical inspector so that an inspection can be made. Inspections are made as frequently as required and work allowed to proceed if satisfactory. If, upon final inspection, the work is acceptable a certificate of approval signed by the electrical inspector is issued. No permanent connection can be made between any electrical installation and the power supply until a certificate has been obtained.

There is no definite programme of re-inspection of elec­tric-al installations or inspection of the older work but inspections are frequently made at the request of the building department, fire department or power supply company. In every case of change of occupancy or tenancy of any premises containing an electrical installa­tion, the incoming occupant or tenant is obliged to make application to the electrical inspector and obtain a permit before the installation can be used.

Complete records, including a card system and reports are maintained for all installations inspected or re-inspected and are properly filed. Follow up inspections are made as a check on rectification of defects found as a result of routine inspections and regarding which notification has previously been given.

Saint John's, Nfld. STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS AND HAZARDS November, 1951.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS-Pursuant to the "St. John's Municipal Act, 1921," and amendments thereto, the Municipal Council enacted a bylaw under date of March 29, 1945 in respect to the installation and use of electric current in or on buildings in the city of St. John's and within a distance of one mile beyond its corporate limits. The bylaw refers to the appointment of a wiring inspector and describes the duties and powers of this official. The bylaw gives a definition of terms and calls for the issuance of permits for new work and alterations. It provides for the inspection of work and issuance of a certificate of approval upon its completion before connections can be made to the power supply. Upon changes in occupancy or tenancy in any premises containing an electrical installa­tion where such installation is changed in any way, a permit is required to be followed by an inspection before the installation may be used. Beyond this requirement, the bylaw does not provide for the re-inspection of old installations.

The rules and regulations for all electrical equipment, installation and wiring as contained in the bylaw are referred to the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, 1939 as published by the Canadian Standards' Association. The code rules are adhered to without any amendment and the bylaw contains a clause providing penalties for non­compliance with the various requirements.

A bylaw enacted by the Municipal Council under date of April 8, 1948, concerns the appointment of a Board of Electrical Examiners, the function of which is to examine and license all electrical contractors, master and journeyman electricians engaged in electrical installations and maintenance work in the city.

INSIDE WORK-Inspection of new wmng installations and of some extensive electrical remodelling projects dis­closed that work was well executed and in accordance with Code requirements, indicating efficient supervision and control. A number of older wiring installations were observed and in many instances conditions observed were defective to the point of being dangerous. Much of the old wiring is of obsolete type or inherently sub-standard, overloaded and without proper or adequate protective devices. This is largely due to the lack of organized con­trol over electrical installations which existed prior to 1945.

OUTSIDE WORK-Main telephone cables are under­ground with distribution therefrom to individual subscribers by aerial circuit wiring, some of which appears to be poorly installed with an appreciable amount of disused aerial wire still in place.

The Newfoundland Light & Power Company, Limited, a private utility company, furnishes current for commercial light and power from 5 hydro developments located at Rocky Pond, Tor's Cove, Mobile, Pierre's Brook and Petty Harbour respectively. All power plants are within a radius of 30 miles southwest of St. John's. The aggregate developed output of the plants at present is given as 35,000 h.p., which is to be increased to 45,000 h.p. before 1954

20

by the erection of two additional developments within a new watershed area. A double circuit, single wood pole transmission line at 33 k.v. connects the Rocky Pond. Tor's Cove, Mobile and Pierre's Brook plants and continues to a switching station at Goulds, which is about 5 miles west of St. John's. From this switching station, a single 33 k.v. line is carried to the Job's Bridge substation in the city. From the Petty Harbour plant two separate 33 k.v. lines are provided, one to the G'oulds switching station and one direct to the Job's Bridge substation.

A second substation on King's Road in St. John's is also in connection with the general power supply system and a third switching station and future substation is under construction on Stamp's Lane in the western part of the city. Further improvements to the power supply are in hand, including the construction of a 33 k.v. line between the mobile plant and the Goulds switching station with an additional direct line from the latter to the Stamp's Lane Station. Upon completion of this work it is proposed to interconnect the three city substations by a 33 k.v. loop circuit.

The principal substation at Job's Bridge in the city comprises transformer banks in open construction with control panels and automatic switch gear in an adjac-ent fire-resistive building free from exposure.

Emergency or auxiliary power supply is available from the hydro system of the United Towns Electric Company, having a total output of 8,000 h.p. from 4 plants. With the normal load on this system, it is estimated that about 3,500 h.p. would be available for supply to the city if required. Power is delivered over a double circuit 30 k.v. line to the United Towns Electric Company's substation from where a single 33 k. v. line connects with the supply: system in the city.

Primary circuit distribution is at 4,160 volts, 4-wire, 3-phase, 60 cycles, with three circuits from the King's Bridge substation and eight circuits from the main sub~

station at Job's Bridge. Circuits are all of aerial con~

struction with transformers usually pole mounted. Second­ary circuits are 240-120 volts, 3-phase for general distri~ bution to consumers. Primary and secondary circuits are generally on the same poles and create a moderate to severe hazard depending upon locations, with possible hindrance to fire department operations at many points.

Street lighting is by a multiple system with circuits operating at 120 volts. Automatic operation is effect by photo-electric cells over pilot circuits to multip relays controlling the individual circuits. All circuits ar of aerial construction with lighting fixtures suspended 2 feet above ground by metal brackets mounted on power line or telephone circuit poles. The location of light fiX· tures is usually specified by the city engineer and spacin is generally about 300 feet in built upon parts. At time of survey there were 995 lights of 300 watts and 385 510 watts capacity each in service; all are of incandescen filament type.

ELECTROLYSIS-It is understood that little troub has been experienced from stray current electrolysis i

November, 1951. CONFLAGRATION HAZARD Saint John's, Ntld.

the past and as the street railway using ground return direct current has been completely abandoned, future trouble of any consequence is not anticipated.

CONCLUSIONS-The inspection of electrical wiring is under competent supervision and in general, new work is well installed. The existing inspection force however is quite insufficient to properly handle work in the city and immediately adjacent territory as undertaken at present. The older wiring installations are generally substandard and many are in a dangerous condition. Inspection of old work is made only on request or upon change of occupancy, when orders are given for the rectification of all defects found. The Canadian Electrical Code is in force and strictly adhered to. Aerial circuit wiring for power distri­bution is generally in fair to good condition but in some instances aerial wiring of telephone circuits appears poor. Aerial power and telephone circuits create possible hind­rance to fire department operations at many points. No trouble of consequence has been reported from electrolysis.

CONFLAGRATION HAZARD

GENERAL-Detailed description in regard to con­flagration hazard will be given for three districts having differing characteristics. These are designated as the con­gested value district, the congested residential district and the south side industrial district and have individual as well as collective conflagration tendencies.

CONGESTED VALUE DISTRICT-This district con­sists of the principal mercantile area and the north side harbour facilities which form an integral part of it. Limits of the district are the harbour on the south, Duckworth, Adelaide and George Streets on the north and Hutcbing and Temperance Streets on the west and east. Water Street is the principal mercantile street, and the retail shopping district is located on it. The district comprises 39 blocks covering an area of 75 acres and lies at the foot of the northward ascent to the upper levels of the c:ity. Water, George and Duckworth Streets, running east to west, are for the most part level. Moderate to steep grades are encountered on the north-south streets. Highest elevation in the district is about 70 feet. Water street is 55 to 60 feet wide, Duckworth Street 60 feet and George Street 50 feet wide. Streets running north and south vary considerably between 20 and 70 feet in width. A number of public lanes are as narrow as 10 feet. All streets are paved. The district measures about 7,000 feet by 500 feet. Blocks vary greatly in area from about 15,000 square feet to 1,900,000 square feet. Exceptionally large blocks are on the south side of Water Street, fronting on the harbour. Access through them to the wharves and rears of buildings is frequently poor. Access to other blocks is generally ~airly good. Only one block may be considered generally lnacessible. There is only one small public park space in the district but a few blocks, particularly in the eastern Part, have considerable large open areas \vhich are not built upon. Of the total block area, 60 per cent is built

21

upon. About 850,000 square feet or 26 o/o of the district is in streets and other permanently open spaces.

The congested value district is bounded on the south by the harbour and the piers and wharf sheds which are integral with the district. The piers are of wood piling with timber decks, and chiefly of small size suitable for coastwise and fishing vessels. Wharf sheds are frame, one to two stories and are in some instances metal-clad. Areas are frequently quite large, a number of single areas being in the vicinity of 20,000 square feet.

The district is bounded on the north by the congested residential area, as later described, with a fringe of secondary mercantile buildings lying between. On the west is a mixed industrial and residential area. The eastern exposure is chiefly residential. Exposure to the congested value district is heavy from the congested frame residential district which lies uphill to the north and from the fringe of minor mercantile occupancies lying between. The western exposure is moderately severe from wood-working and other industrial buildings. Southern exposure to mer­cantile buildings from the wharves and their sheds is heavy, with poor access general.

Values in the congested value district are generally high except where there are some dwellings and other scattered low values. High values are particularly concentrated in the premises of import firms which combine retail, whole­sale and warehouse facilities on the south side of Water Street on the harbour front. Occupancies include usual wholesale, retail, restaurant, theatre, office and other occupancies as well as warehouse facilities.

Fire-resistive construction includes 14 buildings located in nine blocks and c'Overing 6 per cent of the total built upon area of the district. This includes one building quite deficient in fire-resistive features and a large area ware­house of unprotected steel. Reinforced concrete is largely used in framing and floors and frequently for walls. Interior trim is wood. Protection of openings appears fair except that there are heavily exposed window areas and vertical openings are not protected in some cases. Fire­resistive buildings are not so located or of a type such as to be valuable fire breaks except two blocks, due in part to their small areas and vulnerability to exposures. None is sprinklered. Occupancies are chiefly offic·es, shops and warehouses. Heights are for the most part 2 and 3 stories.

Brick-joisted, concrete, stone, mill and similar type build­ings make up the greater part of construction in the district, numbering 334 and comprising 56 o/o of the built upon area. Although areas of individual buildings are generally small to moderate, in a number of cases groups of these buildings are included in a single occupancy and are contiguous, with unprotected openings such that they constitute large single fire areas. This feature is common on the south side of Water Street, where access is fre­quently poor. Interexposure between buildings of the brick-joisted class is generally moderate to heavy because of the prevailing lack of protection for windows and other horizontal openings. Most buildings in this class are three

Saint John's, Nfld. CONFLAGRATION HAZARD November, 1951.

stories in height, a number are two or four stories and there are several five story buildings. Sprinkler protection is provided in 30 o/o of the total area of brick-class build­ings. A number of the large interconnected groups are entirely sprinklered. Water curtains are rare. Interior vertical and horizontal openings have little or no protection. Fire-wall and parapet provision is fair in some blocks, with parapets frequently too low. For the most part con­tiguous construction is without effective cut-offs. About half of the construction in this class is of stone or concrete exterior walls, poured reinforced concrete being general in recent construction.

Frame and veneered construction comprises 38 '7o of the built-upon area, including 207 buildings consisting largely of one and two story warehouses in connection with wharfage facilities and wholesale houses south of Water Street as well as a number of small frame secondary mer­cantile buildings which are generally combined with dwelling occupancies. Frame buildings are not generally mixed -.,vith the bigger mercantile buildings along Water Street, but tend to be located on the waterfront and toward the north side of the district. Heights are generally low; of one to three stories. Areas are small except in the waterfront sheds where excessive areas are encountered. Sincrle areas are frequently 8,000 to 25,000 square feet and"' one unsprinklered metal-clad warehouse is almost 45,000 square feet and located on a wooden pier. A rail­way freight shed is 600 feet long. A number of the frame warehouses are metal or asbestos-clad, some being sprinklered. Sprinkler protection is provided in 20 per cent of the total frame area. The warehouse areas are frequently difficult of access due to their pier and water­front locations at the rear of Water Street mercantile blocks. They are frequently contiguous with and com­municating to the mercantile occupancies such as wholesale and retail shops facing on Water Street and constitute serious exposures to one another as well. The smaller, frame secondary mercantile buildings are built contiguously with one another along street fronts in groups. A con­siderable number of these buildings are of brick-veneered construction and largely located in the blocks on the north side of Water Street.

In the district as a whole protection from exposure is very poor, with windows and communicating openings unprotected. Walls and parapets are weak. Roof cover­ings are generally non-combustible and wood shingles very rare. Protection to vertical openings is lacking for the most part. Of 545 buildings, 76 are sprinklered, generally with a single water supply from public distribution. A number of buildings have first aid extinguishers or inside hose and standpipe, but in many cases these are indifferently maintained.

Potential Hazard-The features illustrated indicate a serious weakness in fire resistance values in the district. Lack of exposure protection and contiguous c·onstruction create a high conflagration potential further heightened by the existence of comparatively inaccessible frame areas of considerable size adjoining the higher value mercantile

22

buildings. The result is a high potential conflagration hazard within the congested value district, which is, in addition, heavily exposed by the adjoining congested resi­dential district as described below.

Probability Hazard-The structural weaknesses of the district are not substantially mitigated by favourable factors of fire department response, water supply or weather conditions. While fire department response may be prompt and in fair strength on a first alarm, the serious deficiency in apparatus and manpower make multiple alarm concentrations weak, and winter street conditions may be hazardous. Water supply is seriously inadequate for the most part and the harbour is not generally accessible for drafting by pumpers.

The probability of spreading fire of conflagration pro­portions is hence rather severe and is further aggravated by the close proximity of the congested residential district, which has a high conflagration potential of its own.

CONGESTED RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT-Lying to the north and west of the congested value district, on the comparatively steeply ascending slope towards the upper levels of the city, is a predominantly residential district with noteworthy conflagration hazard feautres. Entirely of frame construction with the exception of a number of scattered mercantile buildings, this area includes the older residential part of the city and consists now mainly of lower class and slum dwellings. The whole district includes the area bounded by Brine, Carnell, Patrick, Lc Marchant Roa Long's Hill, Queen's Road, Flavin, Military Road and the north side of the congested value district; or approximately 6,800 by 1,200 feet. The central part of the district, adjoining the congested value district is featured by narrow streets of from 20 to 50 feet and generally dilapidated row and single dwellings of 2 and 3 stories in very poOl' repair. The contiguous construction along street fronts makes access to the rears of dwellings difficult in man blocks and, since it is in this area that the most severe street grades are encountered, fire fighting operations may be significantly hampered by street conditions at a seasons. Elevations range from 50 to 175 feet.

Extending eastward from this central area, dwellin construction improves in quality and repair although s • noteworthy for contiguous construction for entire bloc fronts. Street widths become greater and grades mol'l moderate.

The westerly part of the congested residential district defined, includes among the inferior and congested fram dwellings, a number of small and moderate sized industri buildings. Among these are an extensive sprinklere woodworking plant with large lumber storage piles exp ing the area, a frame biscuit and aerated water manufa turing plant, a frame wire and nail mill, and smaller war houses, garages, etc.

Along and in the vicinity of Duckworth, George a New Gower Streets, which border the north side of congested value district there is a fringe area of min ;:>.nd secondary mercantile occupancies which are integr

November, 1951. CONFLAGRATION HAZARD Saint John's, NOd.

with the congested residential district and to a large xtent are located in converted frame dwellings in solidly

e ontiguous construction along entire block fronts. These ~ontinuous frame rows are broken in some locations by modern mercantile and occasionally high value buildings of superior reinforced concrete, brick or fire-resistive con­struction. These latter are of some value as fire breaks in purely local cases, but generally lack suitable protection to openings.

Occupancies in this fringe area are chiefly small shops with poor fire prevention conditions common.

Potential Hazard-In the congested residential district as a whole, solid block fronts of inferior frame dwellings of single and double occupancy and poor repair combine with difficulty of access to present a high conflagration potential with considerable interexposure with the neigh­boring congested value district. A number of scattered mercantile occupancies of fire-resistive or brick or concrete and sprinklered type are of local fire barrier value as are several large open ground areas.

Probability Hazard-In the face of deficient fire depart­ment strength, frequently hazardous street conditions and inadequate water supply, few mitigating features may be found to relieve the high potential conflagration hazard. Demolition of inferior housing now under way in the vicinity of the congested value district may eventually be of value as a fire break. The proximity and uphill location of the district make it a most severe exposure to the con­gested value district.

SOUTH SIDE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT-The built-up portion on the south side of the harbour cnnsists largely of a narrow strip of shore at the base of the South Side Hills along which a continuous quay wall of open piling and timber construction provides wharf facilities for a lineal distance of 4,000 feet. Other wharves extend west from it for about 1,500 feet to the head of the harbour at Long Bridge. Along this strip is located a moderately congester row of frame warehouses, fish and fish-oil pro­cessing plants, oil and gasoline depots and other bulk handling facilities. Values are moderate to high, hazards from oil storage and handling are high and construction on and near the wooden quay wall is inferior light frame type. Heights are one and two stories for the most part, some 3 or 4, with single area of up to 4,500 square feet. Access to properties is fair to poor from the single road and water supply is dependent upon a single main of great length. A sizeable bulk oil storage farm is located on the height just north of these facilities. At the west end of the district are a number of inferior frame dwellings and the extensive facilities of the Canadian National Railways rail terminal and Coastal Service are moderately exposed to the industrial strip. Potential hazard is moderately high due to hazardous oc·cupancies and con­gestion of frame construction without sizeable fire breaks.

Probability hazard is favourably affected by the consider­able proportion of sprinklered buildings and the limiting of fire spread to two directions. However, public protection

23

deficiencies and response from a considerable distance under difficult street conditions as well as weak and unreliable water supply, tend to increase conflagration possibilities.

RESIDENTIAL AND OTHER AREAS-In the re­mainder of the city, not covered in the districts described above, c·onstruction is almost exclusively frame; exceptions being notably institutions and secondary mercantile build­ings.

A number of minor mercantile buildings are scattered about the city, the most noteworthy minor mercantile district being a newly developing one which extends east along Freshwater Road from Le Marchant Road to Harvey Road and consists of a few frame and two fire-resistive mercantile or office buildings and a number of small shops and restaurants located in dwelling structures. Construc­tion in the area is for the most part of contiguous small dwellings. A few scattered industries are located in resi­dential areas, but are not notably hazardous.

Dwelling construction in residential districts generally varies considerably from old dwellings built in solid rows along entire blocks to the newly developed districts where wide detachment is made. Older dwellings are generally single or duplex occupancy, two and three stories with frequent flat tar and gravel roofs. Recent construction is most generally single occupancy and tends toward bungalow type. There are two groups of two-story con­crete apartment buildings of recent construction. Large apartment or tenement buildings are generally lacking. New, well laid out districts are located in the northerly and westerly sections of the city and have excellent detachment. Row housing with communication through attics is notable in a development on Craig Millar Avenue. Contiguous construction of inferior type and repair is encountered in the vicinity of Monkstown Road and Haywood Avenue and in the area around Cook and Parade Streets. These two areas are adjacent to the congested residential district. Wood shingle roofs are in use on a small percentage of older dwellings throughout the city.

Potential conflagration hazard is light to the north and west sides of the city, but the hilltop area at the north side of the congested residential district is subject to possible conflagration due to congestion of frame con­struction and considerable interexposure exists between the two congested districts.

Probability hazard of conflagration in the residential areas is moderate in the hilltop district. Fire department response is likely to be fair on first alarms but weak in concentration for large fires. Water supply in generally deficient. Elsewhere, hazard of conflagration is lessened greatly by good detachment and a number of open areas, particularly toward the northerly and westerly sections.

CONCLUSIONS-The hazard of conflagration of major proportions occurring in the City of St. John's is excep­tionally severe. Structural and topographical conditions in the congested value district and a large residential area surrounding on three sides are such that fire may very

Saint John'a, Nfld. RECOMMENDATIONS November, 1951.

quickly spread through a large area. Public fire fighting facilities are notably weak in manpower, apparatus and water supply and are likely to be rapidly overcome. Average wind velocity is 16 m.p.h. and prevailing direction

is from the west or downhill from the congested frame residential district toward the congested value district of the city. There have been two major conflagrations in the history of the city.

RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation• marked with a star (*) are conaidered of moat importance and their early adoption ia urged.

WATER SUPPLY

Operation

1. That a separate water department be organized to operate the water supply system, with adequate and suitable outside and technical staff.

2. That complete individual valve and hydrant records be maintained, recording results of regular inspec­tions to be made of each.

3. That response to all alarms of fire in the congested value district and to second alarms elsewhere be made by a waterworks employee equipped with a truck and the necessary tools and records for operating valves in co-operation with the fire department.

Supply System

* 4. That the proposed addition of a water supply from Petty Harbour Long Pond be carried out aa aoon as possible

5. That the proposed cleaning of supply and trunk mains be carried out to improve their carrying capacity.

Distribution

6. That the additional feeder mains described in the following table be installed in order to strengthen supplies to the distribution gridiron:

RECOMMENDED MAINS

Min. Diam. Inches

ALONG FROM TO

16

12

12

12 12

12 12

12

Gower, H,enry, George, Spring-dale, Water Sts. King's Road Job's Bridge

Carter's Hill, \Vickford, Cen-tral, ] ohn Sts. Cabot Street Springdale St.

Springdale, Charl-ton, Coronation New Gower Patrick Street

Military Road Monkstown Road Garrison Hill South Side Road,

Leslie Street Job's Bridge Water Street Water Street Craigmiller Ave. Sudbury Street Elizabeth Street Strawberry East of Rennie's

Marsh Road River Empire Avenue Freshwater Road West to Empire

Avenue 8-inch main

24

Other feeder mains will be required in connection with the proposed adjustment of service boundaries and the installation of the Long Pond supply main.

7. That future distribution mains be of 8-inch or larger diameter except that 6-inch may be used to to complete a good gridiron in lengths up to 600 feet. All existing 4-inch mains serving hydrants should be replaced and dead ends eliminated where­ever practicable.

8. That sufficient hydrants be installed so that the area served by each will not exceed 40,000 square feet in the congested value district or 110,000 square feet in residential districts.

9. That all hydrants on Water Street in the con­gested value district be supplied by at least 8-incb mains.

*10. That all-weather acceas points be established along the Water Street waterfront ao that fire department pumpers may readily draft from the harbour, par­ticularly during the period prec:eding major im­provement in water aupply.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Organization

11. That administration of the fire department be seg­gregated from that of the constabulary and be separately responsible to the supervising authority.

*12. That control and supervision of the fire department be placed under the direction of the municipal council of St. John's, so that the city may administer ita own fire protection and the necessary fire pre• vention activities be carried out.

13. That appointments to the department be made ject to the approval of the department and promotions be made on a basis of competitive ex­amination as well as seniority and ability, with advanced training conducted in connection there­with.

Companiea and Apparatus

*14. That, as an interim step, the two ladder companies and two hoae wagons each be provided with a duty crew of at least five men as soon as possible, ancl that all existing vacancies in the department lte filled.

November, 1951. RECOMMENDATIONS Saint John's, Nfld.

15. That the duty strengths of all existing and recom­mended companies eventually be brought to equal the following schedule :

First Alarm Companies in Congested Value District:

Least hlen on Duty Ladder Companies __ __ _________ 7 men. Pumper Companies ________________ 7 men. Hose Companies ____ __________ 6 men.

All Other Companies : Ladder Companies ____________ _ 6 men. Quad Companies __ _ ___________ _ 8 men. Pumper Companies ______ _ 5 men. Hose Companies _______________ _ 4 men.

16. That the department acquire an additional triple combination pumper of at least 625 g.p.m. capacity and complying with specifications of the Canadian Standards' Association; to be placed in service in the recommended station in the congested value district.

17. That the department acquire an additional ladder truck, preferably of aerial type, complying with specifications of the Canadian Standard's Associ­ation; to be placed in service in the Central Station, the present quad ladder truck to be relocated to the West Station at that time and the present aerial ladder truck to be relocated to the recom­mended station in the congested value district.

18. That at least one of the hose wagons eventually be replaced by a triple combination pumping engine of at least 625 g.p.m. capacity and complying with specifications of the Canadian Standards' Associ­ation, the hose wagon to be placed in reserve.

19. That the Bickle pumper, now out of service, be restored for reserve duty if at all possible.

20. That a fire-boat of at least 3,000 g.p.m. capacity be provided for the protection of waterfront property.

Equipment

21. That the two hose wagons be equipped to carry at least 500 feet of 3-inch hose with 2¥.3 -inch coup­lings and heavy stream equipment as well as 2¥.3 -inch hose.

22. That every pumper carry a hydrant cut-off gate, hose jacket and at least 200 feet of 1% -inch hose for use on smaller fires; at least two type N or better smoke masks be provided for each piece of apparatus, a portable floodlight set be maintained; and several salvage c·overs be carried on ladder trucks.

23. That the department be equipped with two-way radio communication between fire alarm head­quarters and a number of its vehicles, including an automobile for the superintendent.

25

Stations

24. That a suitable fire-resistive fire station be erected at or near the site of the former West Station at New Gower and Bambrick Streets to house the hvo companies recommended.

Operations

25. That the apparatus, equipment and personnel herein considered be reserved for the purpose of fire pro­tection in the City of St. John's and that any apparatus, equipment or personnel employed for protection of areas outside of the city be furnished over and above it.

26. That with the implementation of Recommendation No. 14, a suitable running card be adopted to provide for multiple alarm responses, first alarm response in the congested value and congested residenital dis­tries to include at least one aerial ladder company, two pumper companies and one hose company. Res­ponses elsewhere on first alarms should include at

least two pumper companies and suitable ladder equipment. Second alarms should include at least two pieces of hose-carrying apparatus.

27. That a suitable drill-tower be erected for use in the department's drill and training programme.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM

Organization

*28. That the efficiency of fire alarm operation and maintenance he improved by:

(a) Appointment of the Superintendent on a per­manent basis.

(b) Provision of an adequate maintenance force on a permanent basis.

(c) Provision of a fully equipped truck of proper type and adequate capacity, exclusively for fire alarm maintenance and installation service.

Headquarters

29. That a suitable form of emergency lighting be pro­vided in the fire alarm office and battery room.

Current Supply

30. That the reliability of current supply be increased by:

(a) Provision of a second source of primary power supply to the rectifiers either by the installation of a second and completely independent cir­cuit from the commercial power source or the installation of auxiliary current generating equipment of suitable type.

(b) Provision of a cumpletely fire-resistive en­closure for the battery equipment and the effective venting of the enclosure to the outer air.

Saint John's, Nfld. RECOMMENDATIONS November, 1951.

Circuits

*31. That the reliability of alarm circuits where entering headquarters he improved by the provision of a non-combustible terminal cabinet.

32. That circuits in congested mercantile and residential districts be placed underground in ducts for low tension circuits, using rubber insulated copper wire in lead sheath or in cable spedally approved for underground use.

That aerial circuits be removed from poles carrying high tension circuits and from the interior of build­ings other than fire department buildings or those under municipal control.

*33. That authorization be given for the work of re­arranging and dividing two box drcuita as proposed by the Fire Alarm Superintendent.

Boxes

34. That additional boxes be :installed in the newly developed residential districts so that a box shall be within 800 feet of any important group of buildings; that red bands with white border stripe should be painted on all box supporting poles and that box locations in important districts be indi­cated at night by lights of distinctive colour.

Operation

35. That routine apparatus, circuit, battery and box tests be made and recorded, along with troubles and interruptions, in accordance with the standards of the National Board of Fire L"nderwriters for the installation, maintenance and use of Municipal Fire Alarm Systems.

*36. That telephone alarms for fires in buildings be transmitted to all companies as box alarms after first notifying the nearest company by telephone.

FIRE DEPARTMENT AUXILIARIES

37. That police co-operation with the fire department

26

at fires be placed on a properly organized basis with sufficient immediately available transportatiorr provided for members of the force responding to alarms.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT

38. That the necessary additional inspection staff be employed to maintain adequate inspection and con­

trol of building construction or alteration, and records of same.

*39. That, in view of the alarming nature of the con­flagration hazard, the programme of condemnation and demolition of slum buildings in the congested districts of the city he preued vigorously and auto­matic sprinkler protection be required in all build­ings, which by reason of size, construction or occu­pancy might act as conflagration breeders.

FIRE PREVENTION

40. That the fire department be vested with full powers of inspection and enforcement for fire prevention in all premises in the city.

41. That a modern and comprehensive fire prevention ordinance be placed in effect with specific require­ments for the removal of fire hazards.

Electricity

*42. That article II of the existing municipal ordinance

concerning the installation and use of electric current be revised to make applicable the current

edition of the Canadian Electrical Code, Pa.-t I,

and all amendments thereto.

*43. That at least two additional inspectors be added

to the electrical inspection force.

*44. That a complete inspection of old wiring install· ations he made and defects found ordered corrected, and that all wiring be subsequently re-inspected at

regular intervals.

November, 1951. Saint John's, Nfld.

GENERAL SUMMARY City in General-Population, 52,000. Coastwise and ocean port. Commercial fishing and smaU manufac­

turing centre. Severe street grades in part. Streets wide to narrow, principal thoroughfares paved. Moderate winds frequent, winter climate moderately severe. Summer climate mild and fairly moist.

Water Supply-Municipal system. Officials capable. Records fair. Emergency provisions fair. Gravity supply from single source barely adequate. Supply works and mains in good condition, though inadequate. Supply mains in single line in part. Distribution in two service levels, one with eqalizing reservoir of fair storage capacity in con­nection. Consumption high. Pressures moderate to high; generally poor under draft. Arterial system weak. Grid­iron fairly good but distributors of small sizes excessive. Gate valve spacing fair to good. One long dead end service. Major improvements to distribution and a second source of supply under consideration for construction.

Fire Department-Fully paid. Two-platoon basis. Supervision and control poor. Direction fairly good. Appoint­ment and promotions poor. Companies seriously undermanned. Additional pumper, hose and ladder companies required. Apparatus modern; maintenance fair. Fire-boat required. Fairly adequate hose and minor equipment. Additional station required. Discipline and fire methods fairly good. Training deficient for officers. Response to alarms fairly well arranged but subject to severe street conditions. No building inspections by company members. Records fairly good.

Fire Alarm System-Automatic system under capable but somewhat impermanent superv1s10n. Operating staff sufficient but outside maintenance and inspection forc·e lacking. Headquarters apparatus and apparatus at fire stations of modern type, well installed and in good condition. Headquarters located in a building of good construc­tion with small internal and external exposure. Boxes of modern pattern; distribution good e.:-;:cept in recently developed residential districts. Circuits of aerial construction in fair to good condition subject to exposure from power lines in part. Telephone facilities good but handling of telephone alarms poor. Office routine and tests fair but records of operations lacking. Plans of circuits and essential parts of the system complete.

Fire Department Auxiliaries-No fire marshal's office. Co-operation of police and utilities fair. Telephone service fairly well distributed and widely used in reporting fires. Ko central station supervisory or automatic alarm service. Private protection of some value at commercial and manufacturing buildings. Small outside aiel available.

Summary of Fire-Fighting Facilitiea-\Vater supplies fairly reliable but generally deficient in most areas. Fire department fairly well drilled and efficient but seriously undermanned and under-equipped. Fire alarm system of good type and fairly adequate. Distribution of boxes good except in new residential areas.

Building Department-Building code generally adequate and restrictive. Code enforcements fairly good. Fire limits fairly good in protecting c·ongcsted value district. Structural conditions are weak in fire-resistive features. Outside of the congested value district, construction is over 90% frame. Conditions improving slowly.

Fire Prevention-Fire prevention work is fair to poor due to lack of adequate regulation and authority. Regu­lations existing are fair to poor in most respects. Local conditions poor.

Electricity-Laws and ordinances covering wiring are fairly good with minor revision required. Municipal control over new work is good but limited by staff insufficiency. No routine inspection programme for old work, much of which is substandard and in dangerous condition. Overhead ·wiring of power lines in fair to good condition with some hindrance to fire department operation. Little trouble from electrolysis.

Conflagration Hazard-In the congested value district and adjoining congested residential district, group or block fires a1·e probable due to inferior construction, congestion, inaccessibility, lack of protection from exposures and public fire protection weakness. Probability of these becoming major conflagrations is high due to undesirable features of water supply, fire protection, topography, class of construction and street widths.

Elsewhere, there is light to moderate danger of major group or block fires in several residential and industrial areas. In newer residental areas, hazard is very light.

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