Attracting Candidates : Old Fire Stations
The interesting article on old fire stations which appeared in the Glendale edition of The Times (March 12) contained some factual errors which I feel should be corrected to restore public confidence in the safety of the building.
The Tropico branch library and fire station cannot be grouped with the other stations built of unreinforced brick prior to the 1933 earthquake, nor was it built in 1928, as reported, but in 1939-40.
The basic structural material was of a specially shaped brick to accommodate the steel reinforcing bars and this was used in combination with additional elements of reinforced concrete. The mortar was a cement mixture, not the old weaker lime mortar commonly used, and the reinforcing steel bars, both vertical and horizontal, were embedded in a cement grout.
It is gratifying to know that, after nearly 50 years of service as originally designed, the building is to continue as a useful and needed public facility as the new headquarters for the Red Cross.
GRAHAM LATTA
Glendale
Latta was architect for the project.
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