You’re probably wondering the same thing we were: what on
earth is that contraption?! We found this advertisement in the League's December
1917 issue of Minnesota Municipalities magazine and just had to do a
little research.
It turns out the "chief" is an early 911
system. Made and sold by the W. S. Nott Company of Minneapolis, it was a
means to notify the fire department of a fire. The sequence of the bell rings
indicated from where in the city the fire call was originating. It appears this
was one of the first alarms to use electricity, which meant it did not have to
be wound like a clock.
While the “chief” certainly represented progress and new
technology at the turn of the 20th century, we’re happy to report
that public safety technology has improved in leaps and bounds since then!
For the last 100 years, the League has proudly offered
practical training and guidance for a whole cross-section of public employees.
Join us as we continue this
tradition at the 2013 Safety & Loss Control Workshops, where you will learn tips and
tricks for managing risks and common safety challenges in today’s 21st
century world.
We’ll be traveling to nine different locations across the
state in March and April, covering topics for a wide variety of city staff—hope
to see you there! Visit www.lmc.org/LCW13Blog for more information.
