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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1958)
TWELVE MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE Sunday. February 2. 1958 Fire Insurance Rating May Not Be Reconsidered For Many Years Mcdfprd'g fire insurance rating, which has not been changed in 25 years, may not be reconsidered for another' several years, according to City Manager Robert A. Duff. He said the rating now class 5 on a 10 class scale, has stayed the same for three j reasons: ! 1. Between 1933 and the war, Medford grew little, and its fire protection facilities remained much the same. 2. During World War II no rerating surveys were con ducted. 3. Since World War II Med ford's growth has been so rapid that it has been all the various city departments could do to keep up with it, let alone improve service to a point where a better rating and result lower insurance rates could be hoped for. Rural District Rating Rating of the Medford Rural Fire Protection district, which since 1952 has purchased pro tection from tfieh city, is (class 9A, Medford Fire Chief Gor don R. Barker said. The last complete grading of the city by the Oregon Insurance Rating bureau was in May, 1933, Duff said. He explained that the rating board engineers had visited the area several times each year since the last rating and had made suggestions for improving or maintaining the rating. The bureau has just com pleted a grading of all the buildings other than residen tial within the city, he added, but the results would not be available until April of May. Laps of Time The reasons for the lapse of time since the last grad-' ing, is due mainly to the war and the increase in the size of the city, the city manager continued. Gradings are usu ally not made by the state bureau. Duff explained, un less requested by the city, as long as the city is maintaining or improving their rating. In 1933, Medford had a population of approximately 11,000 and included 2,080 acres. Today there are 23,571 persons living within the city 'units which now includes J, 594 acres. No gradings were conduct ed during the war, Duff con tinued, and when it came time for regrading, the prob lem of annexation and popu lation growth had just started. Grading requests were post poned until the city's depart ments, especially fire and wa ter, could catch up with the area they were protecting. Study Fighting Force In 1950, Fire Capt. Leo Weidner of the Portland de partment, now assistant fire chief there, spent four months in Medford studying the fire fighting force of the city. His suggestions resulted in a 5125,000 bond issue, approved by the voters, for the expan sion of the department. With a portion of the money the west side fire sta tion was constructed, and an aerial ladder purchased, Chief Barker reported. Seven men were added to the department staff, he explained, but add ed, that at that time Medford covered 2,080 acres and had a population of 17,170. Short ly after the new equipment was purchased 80 acres were annexed to the city. Futher expansion in the de partment came in 1952 when a division of fire prevention was organized within the de partment and a "fire marshal added to the staff. It was dur ing that same year that 37 street alarm boxes were placed in service with the telephone alarm system switchboard at the police station. Pumper Purchased A 1,000 gallon-per-minute pumper was purchased and later that year the Rural Fire Protection district was organ ized. A contract was signed with the city for fire protec tion of some 27,741 acres with an estimated population of more than 8,000 persons. But Medford was still expanding 54 Vi acres were annexed to the city in 1952. The following year a tanker-pumper was put into serv ice and four firemen were added to the department. But Medford grew on 3.8 acres were annexed to the city. And Medford still grew in 1954 an assistant fire chief and seven firemen were add ed to the staff and the east side station was activated in rented quarters on South Keene Way dr. Then 45J2 more acres were annexed to the city and the next year saw the city leap ahead again by another 99 acres. ' New Station Iq 1956, another 1,192 acres were annexed to Medford. It was in this year that the east side station was constructed at 530 Highland dr. The com pletion of the station com pleted the expansion program begun in the department with the approval of the bond is sue in 1950, except for an indi cator switchboard for the street alarm system which was added in 1957. At the close of 1956 the Medford Fire department was manned by 37 men in three stations with two 1,000 gallon-per-minute pumpers, m one 750 gallon-per-minute pump er, one 500 gallon-per-minute Army style pumper, one com bination tanker-pumper car rying 1,250 gallons of water and equipped with a 500 gallon-per-minute pump,, one 85 foot aerial ladder truck, a utility pickup equipped with a 200 gallon-per-minute port able pump," a sedan and a station wagon, all equipped with three-way radio on the city frequency. In reserve was the 1924 model, 1,000 gallon-per-minute Stutz pumper. With the exception of the Rural district and equipment and men add ed for rural protection, the Medford fire department was at the recommended strength for a city of 17,170 population and an area of 2.080 acres, Chief Barker explained. Two Men Added Two men were added to the department last year and the city annexed 1,950 acres. To day the 39 men in the depart ment include Qhief Barker, an assistant chief, fire mar shal, six captains, six. engine men and 24 firemen. In 1950 the greatest distance from the fire station to the city limits was two miles, to day the distance has been in creased to nearly four miles. Travel distance to the Rural district boundary at the most remote point is slightly more than 4'zi miles, the fire chief YMCA Membership Drive Scheduled Membership drive activities will get underway at the Young Men's Christian asso ciation Tuesday, Paul Mit-i chell, drive chairman, said to-' Hair i He said there will be seven wings in this year's drive, which has been themed around "Space Adventure". Wing Commanders include Jake Toews, Charles Jones, Bob Beyer, Fred Sears, Jay Pierce, Mrs. Lanell Wilkes, Sam Harbison, Ed Hass, Alex McDonald, Dr. Frank Wilson, Mrs. Owen Kunkel and Glenn Jennings. Tuesday, Feb. 4, has been set as the "kick off" date. A meeting of all workers and commyders is scheduled and insuctions given workers. Report meetings have been scheduled Feb. 7 and Feb. 11. Drive activities are expected to be complete by Feb. 18. Crater Well Drilling Submits Only Bid Crater Well Drilling com pany, 6061 Crater Lake ave., was the only bidder for drill ing a well at the Ft. Klamath ranger station, according to the forest service. The station is located about 32 miles north of Klamath Falls. The firm's bid was $2,820. There are about 12,000 trailer parks in the U.S. Responsibility Told Profesional men in science have a responsibility to en courage more young people to seek science careers, ac cording to Dr. William J. Thompson, Medford optome trist, at a recent meeting of the Lane County Optometric society in Eugene.' Dr. Tompson, director of professional services, Oregon Optometric association, said that now, as never before, the optometrist and others in the science and health pro- j fessions need to do every ' thing they can to foster a i healthy interest by present jday students to fill the future needs of the professions. Mobilheat , DISTRIBUTOR Safe Thrifty Comfort "OIL TO BURN" S&H GREEN STAMPS ON MOBILHEAT OIL MEDFORD FUEL CO. Tel SP 2-2111 Court & McAndrewj reported. Why then, it is asked, has not Medford been rerated by the state rating bureau since 1933? The answer is not as easy as it seems. Cities hope to improve their fire insur ance rating or at least remain the same before requesting a grading, City Manager Duff explained. Continues To Grow "Medford has been grow ing. Just as the city depart- ( ments build themselves up to the strength needed for the city, the city would grow again," he said. In light of the current gr"Swth of the city, a letter received by the city manager last August from H. E. Mar queling, chief engineer of the Oregon Insurance Rafing bu reau in Portland, stated that any rating of the city would be delayed fo a. year or more. Duff added that cities in the United States over 25,000 population are rated by ' the National Fire Rating board rather than state bureaus. Class ratings, he explained, are based on a scale wh the lowest numbers, those cities with the Sest fire protection. BP IPemey's DOWNTOWN MEDFORD SHOP MONDAY EVENING UNTIL 9 P.M. penney's spggm pummsm DOOR littl&TJgRSl On Sale 9:& A.M. fAonmf !! Corduroy Tapered Slacks 2 - 5.00 Special low, low price. Sleek - and tapered pinwale corduroys in a rainbow of colors. Beautifully tailored mid-calf slacks you'll wear everywhere. Baby-soft, washable fab ric. Back zippers. Sizes 10-18. SPORTSWEAR . . . 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