Also: Divin, Drogichin, Khomsk, Malech, Telechany
They write to us from Brisk that these days the leaders of the Jewish community received a message from the city mayor that the governor of the region granted the requested permit to establish a society of volunteer firefighters.
Permission received, the community – Jews and non-Jews together – set about organizing:
Last Sunday, about 200 Jews and Christians of Brisk established the society and elected its chairman, deputy, secretary, and distinguished members.
We can infer that city government was unable to provide adequate firefighting for a city that was often beset by fires. We know from other sources that homes, businesses, and common buildings in Brest were largely of wooden construction. We also know of efforts to replace these with new buildings using fire-resistant materials, but apparently these changes were proceeding slowly.
Evidentally, the townspeople were on their own with respect to funding.
The Society is divided into 3 classes: the first class consists of distinguished members contributing to the society not less than 100 rubles a year and also distinguished men who won this honor because of their activities for the society. The second class consists of registered members who contribute yearly from 6 to 25 rubles.
Finally. those who contribute by their labor:
The third class consists of members who help and carry out all that is needed for the society according to its fixed rules.
An overarching goal:
The establishment of this society, apart from the benefit for the city – guarding against a fire disaster– has a secondary gain: the Christian citizens will get closer to the Jews and will not look upon them disdainfully as they have up to now.