Southeastern Chiefs Hold Convention
The Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs held its sixteenth annual convention in Roanoke, Va., on June 21-22.
Speakers on the first day’s program, over which President Floyd C. Pfaender presided, included Jack Mason, Chief, Fire Defense Section, Office of Civilian Defense, Washington, D. C., who explained OCD methods for cooperation with the nation’s fire departments in combating fires brought about by possible enemy action: J. H. Wyse, State Coordinator, Office of Civilian Defense, Richmond. Va., and George A. Gumming, Chief, Fire Protection Section, Governmental Bureau, War Production Board, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Mason, in his talk, discussed the four OCD units which have been set up to work with fire departments. They are: 1. Equipment Unit—An organization which confines itself mostly to research in an effort to develop substitute materials for use in fire fighting equipment. 2. Mutual Aid Unit—Organized to effect the cooperation of emergency services between various cities throughout the nation. 3. Personnel Unit—For the purpose of training auxiliary firemen and fire guards. 4. Educational Unit— Dealing directly with the education of the public in preventing and fighting fires.
Highlights of the second day’s session included a talk by H. I. Bobbitt, Special Agent. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Richmond, Va., on Sabotage; a paper by Harold I. Baumes, Executive Secretary, League of Virginia Municipalities on “Wartime Municipal Fire Protection,” in which he called upon all the fire departments represented to do their utmost in the protection of their communities; a paper by Fire Chief W. E. Sykes, of the Norfolk Navy Yard Fire Department, on “Navy Yard Fire Protection”; one by Chief Edward J. Cannon of the Norfolk, Va., Fire Department on “Waterfront Fire Protection.” Frank A. King, of Pittsburgh. Pa., spoke on “The Use of the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus,” and Chief W. W. Stephen, of the Monsanto Chemical Fire Department. Anniston, Ala., explained the fire hazards of materials used in the making of synthetic rubber and also methods of preventing and extinguishing blazes in this type of material.
At the session devoted to the election of officers, Chief James M. Duncan, of Alexandria, Va., was elected President; Chief Henry R. Chase, of Miami, Fla., First Vice-President: Chief William M. Mullins, Roanoke, Va., Second VicePresident, and Chief Walter W. Stephen, Monsanto Chemical Corporation, Anniston, Ala., Secretary-Treasurer.
