Fire and Police Service (1947)

[Music] work all over the country wherever people live and wherever they go they are in danger they and their property too are in danger of attack by two enemies that may strike without War warning one enemy is crime the other is fire together they destroy many lives and cost billions of dollars for preventing and fighting fire and crime we have special departments in every Community there are thousands of persons in fire and police work and recruits are constantly being added to the ranks but only those with certain qualifications are accepted for instance to become from a fireman in most Municipal departments a candidate must first take a civil service Examination for physical and mental Fitness those who pass are placed on an eligible list in the order of their marks from this list the fire commissioner selects men for special training under the Drill Master who supervises the school for probationary firemen there is very little bookwork in this school the emphasis is on learning by doing first the candidates must become familiar with the things used in fighting fire they study the various types of hose couplings and the street hydrants installed in their City they learn the purpose and proper use of many tools and how to meet special problems such as handling electrical wiring safely first aid 2 is a very important part of a fireman's training but it is in the strenuous practice drill that the probationary fireman finds out if he is really suited for the work in these sessions the men are put through the same actions that they may experience in a real fire getting hoses into a building calls for top speed yet safety precautions must be observed nowadays the use of pompier ladders at a fire is an unusual occurrence but the fireman must prepare by practice to meet any emergency teamwork is the fire Fighter by word it is essential in nearly everything they do teamwork is especially noticeable in handling the life net which is moved quickly to catch a dummy representing a person leaping from a burning building skillful use of the metet has saved many lives training in the fireman school is augmented by real experience in fire companies and whether a probationer is accepted as a permanent fireman depends on his company record as well as his fire School record but being appointed doesn't mean that training is completed while waiting for calls the men have practice drills including a so-called brain drill in which they test each other on the location of streets and [Music] hydrants there is action thrill and adventure in fire service but most of it is just plain physical hardship under dangerous conditions it calls for young men with good health mental alertness and a willingness to risk personal injury even death in protecting the lives and property of others although a fireman's Duties are essentially the same no matter where he is employed the nature of a police officer's work depends on what force he belongs to and his specific assignments there are numerous types of law enforcement agencies including Village County state and city police there are also various federal agencies but comparatively few persons are employed in federal police work City forces employ the largest number of men and it is here that all typical major police activities are found protective patrolling is one of the major activities officers are assigned districts or beats which they Patrol on foot or by motor a patrolman's job is to observe everything the people the buildings and the vehicles he is on the lookout for possible violations and for conditions which may endanger the safety of people or property traffic regulation is another major police activity calling for the efforts of many officers but this work includes much more than directing traffic some officers are assigned to accident prevention or traffic injur engineering work investigation of traffic conditions to find out where signal lights and other control devices are needed is one phase of this job other policemen specialize in accident investigation entailing countless duties and Gathering evidence and disposing of cases criminal investigation another major activity requires the employment of many detectives or plain cloth men with special skill and knowledge for solving various types of crime some detectives concentrate on investigating burglaries collecting evidence and information to Aid in finding and Prosecuting the guilty persons but burglary is just one of many different types of crime the detective Bureau of every large police force has other Specialists trained to handle such crimes as homicide forgery arson automobile theft shoplifting and so on a vital Aid in criminal investigation is the crime detection laboratory where latest scientific methods for solving crimes are employed the experts in the lab cooperate with detectives and uniform police in many ways here a chemist is applying acid to a firearm to reveal the serial number which was defaced by the criminal firearm identification experts use comparison microscopes to check bullets recovered from bodies or at scenes of crimes with test bullets fired from confiscated Firearms microscopic or chemical analysis of seemingly unimportant things such as dust stains and fibers often provides the solution to crimes fingerprints on file in the records division are compared by fingerprint experts with those found at crime scenes and here too is another major activity utiliz Ing and keeping track of thousands of Records on fingerprints complaints reports arrests warrants and other essential material civilians as well as officers are engaged in this work in some police departments the records are kept close to the central Communication equipment thus necessary information is near at hand when complaints and reports come in or when messages are sent by teletype phone or radio to stations and Patrols or to other law enforcement agencies the operation and maintenance of communication equipment is one of many phases of Police Service requiring special training guiding children into good citizenship is a primary aim of modern police work crime prevention which deals mainly with juvenile problems calls for the assignment of police women as well as police men it requires a thorough understanding of the laws affecting children and and ways to cooperate with parents schools and social agencies the physical and educational requirements for entering police work depend on the type of force its location and administration civil service entrance examinations are required by most city and state forces Village and policemen are usually appointed or elected the FBI has the highest entrance requirements of all in order to qualify as a special agent an applicant must be a graduate of a law school an expert accountant or have had a constructive type of law enforcement experience nevertheless the FBI has a long waiting list of eligible men ready to take the Intensive course of training for which this force is noted in other police forces there is a great need for persons with training Superior to that gained in most inservice police schools several universities now offer courses in police science and administration for those who wish to make Police Service a career and certainly police work offers a splendid opportunity for a worthwhile career only through the employment of persons with real aptitude and training can the criminals toll in life and property be reduced crime must be fought just as fire is fought by those who are suited to and trained for the job if you are interested in fire or Police Service investigate the one you wish to enter find out what the requirements are and make plans to meet them devoting yourself to the public welfare by entering fire or Police Service would be an admirable Choice as your life work