6-13-13 INTENTIAL FIRE SET
A bell that fired up BYU and
U of U
At ten minutes
before midnight, in the fall of 1956 Red dialed up the Provo City Fire
Department. He dialed each number, and then carefully rechecked it for
accuracy. Finally he pressed the send bar; two rings on the other end of the
line were recorded on the tape before the telephone at the other end of the
line was answered. A man’s voice declared the number dialed as the Provo City
Fire Station. Red spoke slowly in a calm unconstrained voice,
“Hello, I have
some information for your fire department that is of importance for the general
safety of the Union Building. But before I tell you what it is, could you tell
me the total number of men that you have working?”
“Yes, there are
eight on this shift and twenty-eight all together."
“28 all
together?” You have 28 men all together, isn't there is a little bit of space
between them? The guys will roll on the floor laughing at that joke.” Red thought.
“What?”
“Nothing. Are
twenty eight men enough to take care of everything?”
“Yes, at the
moment the night shift men are waxing the floor in the equipment room. Why,
what's up?”
“I’m doing a
little research for Alpha Mega Braga fraternity. I have just two more questions
and then I’ll explain to you about the Union Building. Are there any fire prevention
measures being taken by the mayor, council, or in your department?”
“Yes, we check
all the homes in Provo once a year for fire hazards. We also pay a full time
inspector Bob Young. He makes regular
rounds inspecting buildings for fire hazards and water systems. He draws up
plans for modern delivery of water to the fire source. For example, he inspects
the stand pipes on buildings so the hose can he hooked on to them instead of
having to run a rubber hose up the side of buildings.”
“Ok, I
appreciate your time, just one more important question. Does the city have an
Arson Squad?”
“Well, in a
town this small the inspector is also the Arson Squad. The inspectors name is Bob
Young as I said before, a highly
respected fireman from Ogden. He reports on all fires and arson suspects in cooperation
with the prosecuting attorney’s office. This year he collected enough evidence
on a twenty year old, former BYU student, that was previously expelled for
drinking in his dorm, into a conviction of Arson which destroyed a down town
warehouse. He wanted to dispose of the mayor. He is presently in the Utah State
Pen getting 1 to 10. Red suddenly felt his back starting to bother him.
Terrible things were ready to happen, his back hurt badly whenever he got
nervous or scared. Get hold of myself, he
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thought, It will all be over in a minute. He began to
concentrate on his job the President, the fraternity leader, the senior’s
choice.
The short pause
gave him enough time to gain a steady voice. It was now twelve midnight;
He began reading some scribbling that was inside a book of matches.
“I've kept you on the telephone
while I’ve been waiting for twelve-o’clock to arrive and the BYU campus
Bell Tower Bell to start ringing. Alpha Mega Braga’s back yard bonging.
Concerning the BYU's persons that out right stole the Victory Bell siting on a
trailer in Alpha Mega Braga fraternity’s back yard. Which Bell rightly
belonging to U o f U, for winning this year’s 1953 football game. We said
students as an act of revenge have henceforth lit a fire which is now surrounding the BYU Union
Building. Good luck to you and your city fire department too."
“Click.”
Sixty
years later
Red dialed the same number and the same Provo
City Fire Department: Two rings on the other end of the line the call was
answered. A man’s voice once again declared the Fire department’s number had
been correctly dialed. Some things never change. Once more, Red, now a sports
writer for the Desert News had a list of arranged items.
"This is Red Grange speaking, I need some
information for an article I'm writing for the Deseret Church News Paper. Could
I enlist your help?"
"Sure,
what do you need?”
“ Here’s a
partial list of questions. Do you have a pencil ready?”
“Go ahead I’m
recording as we speak.”
“Good. How was the fire handled in the vacant house
yesterday that killed a little girl compared to say sixty years ago?
“Has the fire
department been updated in the last sixty years, compared to the 28 men that
were all together in the firehouse 60 years ago.
“Have you enough
men to take care of anything?
“How's the maintenance division?
“Equipment, are there 9 men still waxing the
floor?
“Communication:
switch-board operators, a truck with a two-way radio, any work dispatching
apparatus?
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“Fire
prevention division?
“Put up flags around town”
“How often do
you have classes on firefighting?
“Does the Arson squad have more than one man,
and have you caught any fire bugs lately?
“ Any other assorted activities, for example
first aid, mouth to mouth?
“Some tax
payers think that the fire dept. costs too much money, what do you think?
“Where is the Liberty Bell presently
located?" Has it gone by the way
side since the NCAA has scuffled the teams?”
Being recorded???
Red suddenly
felt his back starting to bother him.
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S.
