Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1918 [PAGE 534]

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528

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[September i t ,

cooperate with the local departments in the Twin Cities as they do not have, adequate pressure and the pumper is necessary for large fires. At present our equipment responds to fire alarms turned in from the west side of Champaign and the University district in Urbana, and since July 1st our department has responded to 32 calls, 16 in Champaign and 16 in Urbana, all of them being in residences and several of them being in faculty homes. During the same period our department has gone to the Champaign headquarters nine times and to Urbana headquarters seven times. In the case of our equipment going to Champaign, an Urbana truck relays to our station and vice versa in the case of our relaying to Urbana. We have in this way, therefore, assisted the Twin Cities by going to their headquarters 16 times and by helping them in fighting 32 fires in the University district. In the same time they have been called to the University but twice. The Twin Cities are therefore under obligations to us rather than we to them, and I do not see why we should buy any more equipment to help us take care of their fires. I think that our relaying to their stations in case of fire more than offsets the service which they render us, and the only justification for our helping on fires in the University district is that we are in most cases closest to them and the majority of them are student rooming houses. I therefore believe that our new equipment should be a combination chemical and hose truck with a forty-gallon chemical tank. Such an equipment would cost us between $4000 and $5600, depending upon the quality of the equipment. If we are going to continue with war activities, the moral hazard in our buildings is greater than heretofore and I think we should have a better fire fighting apparatus. We have ample pressure and most of our fires can readily be put out with a forty-gallon extinguisher. I therefore request authority to purchase such an equipment, charging same to our appropriation for Physical Plant Extensions.

Yours truly, JAMES M. WHITE

Supervising Architect

The President of the University was given authority to purchase fire-fighting equipment in accordance with the recommendation of the Supervising Architect at a price not to exceed four thousand dollars. The vote was unanimous.

FORD SERVICE TRUCK

(4) A letter from the Supervising Architect concerning the purchase of a Ford service truck. August 2j, igiy President E. J. James, University of Illinois

DEAR S I R :

I request authority to purchase a Ford Service Truck with delivery body to be used in distributing supplies from the Business Office store room and from the building department store to the points where' they may be needed. Such a truck will cost about $450.00.