Double Platoon Becomes Effective For Fire Fighting Force; Many Changes Are Made in Personnel.

Houston's fire department experienced one of the greatest shake-ups in its history Friday, when the double platoon system was put into effect.

The men were put on a double shift, the daylight men working 10 hours. Previously there has been only one shift, with men having certain days off duty. To make the change it was necessary to shift men in every fire station in Houston.

Fire Commissioner A. I. Anderson and Fire Chief Wells, with Norman Beard, secretary of the civil service commission, have been working out the details of the double platoon for several weeks. Besides increasing the number of men in the department, it was necessary for the fire department officials to make a number of promotions to fill positions of captains.

The promotion of most importance was that of J. H. Davidson from captain of the Central Station to third assistant chief, which position is created under the new arrangement.

All of the new men taken into the department were qualified by rigid physical and mental examinations, conducted by the civil service commission. Of the large number of applicants examined for the service 117 were rejected because they did not meet the requirements of the commission. The promotions to captains were made in accordance with the rules of the civil service commission, and all are probationary promotions, covering one year's probation before becoming permanent.

Both Fire Commissioner Anderson and Fire Chief Wells congratulated Secretary Beard of the civil service commission on the array of men presented from which the selections were made to fill the vacancies in the department. Commissioner Anderson said he had never seen a better looking class of men come into the fire department.

Secretary Beard expects to have a new book of rules for the fire department ready for distribution in a few days.


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Chief, W. P. Wells
first assistant chief, C. J. Ollre
second assistant chief, W. E. Franks
third assistant chief, J. H. Davidson
Secretary, F. W. Gaugler
blacksmith mechanic, B. V. Cecil
watchman, Camp Logan, R. B. Wynne
gasoline man, E. L. Parker
chief clerk, L. L. James

Ollre, captain
C. H. Davidson, chauffeur
Geis
Butler
Cash
Templet, laddermen

Night shift

Smith, captain
C. P. Brown, chauffeur
Byron
Williams
Hadzel
D. Diltz, laddermen

O.Lillie, day chauffeur
A. J. Davis, night chauffeur

Chief's chemical

L. Zimmerman, day chauffeur
J. D. Fritsche, night chauffeur

Hosea, day chauffeur
C. E. Brown, day pipeman
Cavanaugh, night chauffeur
Carroll, night pipeman

Second assistant chief's car

C. Perry, day chauffeur
Ed Prenzler, night chauffeur

Hose Wagon No. 1

Franklin, chauffeur
Lloyd
Hoey
Grimes
Powell, laddermen

McLean, chauffeur
Fisher
Dodd
Galbraith
Noland, pipemen

Edmonds, chauffeur
Roper, engineer

McAnally, chauffeur
Bourdon, engineer

Day Crew

Brittain, chauffeur
Shelburne
Morhehousen
Thomas, laddermen

Wilson, chauffeur
Cavannaugh
Matthews
Smith, laddermen

Water Tower

Phillips, day chauffeur
Coulter, night chauffeur

Heath, captain
Frey, chauffeur
Billings
Polson
Grant, pipemen

Lado, captain
Hughes, chauffeur
Johnson
Kent
Couvillian, pipemen

E. E. Wells, captain
Walker, chauffeur
Cafferty
Grota
Schoellkopp, pipemen
F. E. Wilson, supply wagon

Hard, captain
Helmin, chauffeur
Evans
Robinson
Samuels, pipemen
J. Conn, supply wagon

Fire Station No. 4

Hughes, captain
Kahlman, chauffeur
Bokemeyer
Heber
McRee, pipemen
Faulkner, chemical chauffeur

Bishop, captain
Ruby, chauffeur
Pruessner, chemical chauffeur
Reeder
Sullivan
T. M. Parker, pipemen

Fire Station No. 5

Daly, captain
Calhoun, chauffeur
Copeland, driver
Bordeaux, engineer
Lopez
King, pipemen

Adams, captain
James, chauffeur
Ward, engineer
McElroy, driver
Harris
Nicholson, pipemen

Fire Station No. 6

Kelly, captain
Pittman, chauffeur
W. E. Wilson, supply wagon
Deitz
Wright
Morrow, pipemen

Hundt, captain
Weaver, chauffeur
Garnett, supply wagon
Reisner
Gallivan
Tankerly, pipemen

Fire Station No. 7

Middlekauf, captain
Cash, chauffeur
Engel, engineer
J. M. Smith
Nash
Carey
Bell
Nelson
Hippler
D. C. King, Jr., pipemen

D. C. King, Sr., captain
Perry, chauffeur
Beecher, engineer
Fraseine
Lathrop
Armer
Fraser
W. Johnson
Borello
McCabe, pipeman

Powers, Captain
Johnson, Chauffeur
Pratt, Supply Wagon
Bradt
Kobe
Lazzio, Pipemen

Schultze, Captain
Reo, Chauffeur
Patterson, Supply Wagon
Moman
Metsch
Frlton, Pipemen

Hartwell, Captain
O'Brien
Kelly
House, chauffeurs
Rusk, engineers
Clark
McDaniel
Mize
A. E. Hughes
N. B. Moses, laddermen and pipemen

Richardson, captain
Whelt
Evans
Barrett, chauffeurs
Levy, engineer
Donnelly
Fitzpatrick
Fields
Geatjen
Steed, laddermen and pipemen

Smith, captain
Chaloutka, chauffeur
Girton
Conroily
Lung, pipemen

Steve Wells, captain
Hughes, chauffeur
Scallon
Ingram
Cage, pipemen

Little, captain
Potateka, chauffeur
Ollre
Elsbury, pipemen

E. J. Wolff, captain
Sullivan, chauffeur
Wimp
Friday, pipemen

Weise, captain
Henning, chauffeur
Goode
Thormason
Cameron, pipemen

Rittenhouse, captain
Daugherty, chauffeur
Dorsett
Brooks
Crocker, pipemen

Sam Little, captain
W. C. Lilley, chauffeur
Deize
Poulter, pipemen

G. W. Fisher, captain
Minster, chauffeur
Everett
Brooks, pipemen

Brown, captain
West 
Valentine
Kerr, chauffeurs
Mahoney
Myers
Nunnelle
Hosen
Fleckenstein, laddermen and pipemen

Montgomery, captain
Phillips
Bohten
Block, chauffeurs
Drohan
Wilkerson
Kerkhove
Johnson
Thompson, laddermen and pipemen