THE FIRE FIGHTER OF TO=DAY 



BY JOHN CAMPION. 



[John Campion, fire marshal, Chicago; born county Kilkenny, Ireland, 1849; came to 

 Chicago in early childhood; educated in parochial and public schools; appointed on 

 Chicago Fire department as a regiilar member April 1, 1870, as pipcman on steam 

 engine. Little Giant; promoted to assistant foreman, 1871; Captain, November 11, 

 1873; appointed assistant marshal and chief of battalion, April 8, 1882; third assistant 

 fire marshal, July 1, 1893; second assistant fire marshal, April 30, 1895; first assistant 

 fire marshal, July 1, 1901; appointed fire marshal and chief of brigade, October, 17, 

 1904.] 



The fact that most of the great firemen of the United 

 States rose from the ranks is good proof that the men in the 

 ranks to-day are, as a rule, efficient, intelHgent, and ambitious 

 fire fighters. The true fireman, and there are many of them in 

 the Chicago department, is not content with just hokling his 

 job. I would not insist that any special genius is required to 

 make a good fireman, but I do think that a number of qualities, 

 amounting almost to special faculties, develop rapidly in the 

 bom fireman. 



The kind of fireman's work which the newspapers are fond 

 of writing about, such as daring death near falling walls, dash- 

 ing drives to the fires, and other spectacular performances 

 which the honest fireman regards as mere incidents in his daily 

 routine of duty, are not always the best methods by which to 

 judge of the true value and effectiveness of a fireman's work. 

 The average fireman of experience and intelligence never thinks 

 of taking any special credit to himself for his performances at 

 any given fire. He is, and to be a useful member of the de- 

 partment must be, readily amenable to orders. He obeys his 

 commander as readily and as unquestionably as a good soldier 

 heeds his superior in battle. 



If he is ordered to the roof of a building adjoining the fire, 

 he goes there as a matter of course. And he stays there, obey- 

 ing orders regardless of consequences. His commander takes 

 the responsibility because he is expected to, and does know 

 just what chances he may take in exposing his men for the 

 ultimate purpose of defeating the fire. The company captains 

 and lieutenants, the battalion chiefs and the assistant mar- 



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