New York State War Council. Committee on Fire Defense.

The New York State Committee on Fire Defense organized a state-wide administrative framework to mobilize quickly and efficiently the firemen, fire equipment and fire fighting resources of the state in times of war emergency.

The proposal for state-wide emergency fire mobilization and mutual aid was intended to provide fire departments a blueprint for war-time emergency mobilization by, for and of local fire services. It provided for standardization of fire department connection threads, a state-wide communication system, and mutual aid arrangements for adjacent sections of neighboring states. The plan established a reception depot for fire equipment which came to the state and its localities from the Federal Government and other sources, and also established definite principles of command at the scene of fires. In addition, the plan optimized cooperation between local fire authorities and industrial fire brigades. The Committee organized its efforts together with War Council Offices of War Training, Civilian Protection and Civilian Defense.