The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-05-01
VILLAGE FIRE PROTECTION.

VILLAGE FIRE PROTECTION.
The destruction of large portion
OF the village of Glasston by fire Sunday
night serves to call attention to the
needs of some method Of fighting the
fire iiend i'll the smaller towns.
In proportion to the total valuation
of the property of the village compared
to that which was destroyed. the loss
was as great in proportion as was that
of San Francisco from The recent
earthquake.
The reports indicate that the people
We're practically helpless to stay the
flames and were compelled to stand
idly by and watch them devour their
property.
AS a matter of course they carried
insurance on much of the property
which WAS destroyed but considerable
of it was total loss. The people who
did not suffer such loss have paid
we'll for the protection in the way
of increased rates over what they
would have had to pay had the village
have had some means of fighting fires.
There are hundreds of the smaller
towns of this and other states which
are in the same condition as the one
which has recently suffered. 1t is
not a matter Of carelessness nor
neglect, for the majority of the people
engaged in business in these smaller
towns are not only anxious to protect
themselves against fire loss but are
especially interested in the reduction
of insurance rates.
The trouble lies more in the fact
that many of these smaller places are
not incorporated, and the burden
OF providing and maintaining fire
department falls very irregularly on
the people who need it. In the major
ity of cases where they are maintained
it is done by voluntary contribution,
each man giving whatever he may in
his own judgment think is proper and
right. Being a quasi-vountary gift
there is no means of collecting the
same. and often no proper official to
receive it,
Under these conditions it is evident
that the fire protection must be of
decidedly Indifferent character. Many
of the villages have no engines what
ever and those which do often give
them no attention until fire breaks
out and then discover they will not
work and are absolutely useless.
Many of the incorporated villages
have the same trouble. True they can
levey the proper tax to support a fire
department and can enforce the COL
lection of the same. But the tax neces-
sary to do this is often heavy and the
people feel that it is something of a
burden. This is especially true in
the places where there have been no
fires. Occasionally when some other
town is wiped out the matter of fire
protection takes on new life and the
needs OF the other places receives
some attention. In short time how
ever, the subject becomes old and the
people forget it's needs until another
disaster wakens them from their slum-
Der of indifference.
The incorporation of the smaller
places will help to solve the trouble by
providing legal organization to look
after the matter. But it will take
more than this to keep on hand ready
fer emergencies fire department pro-
perly equipped to fight the danger
when it develops.
1t is hardly necessary to depend up
on water for this purpose in the ordin-
airy village for the supply is often
inadequate and the means of reaching
1t and making it available for the
emergency is often impossible.
Many of the larger towns and even
the cities now use chemical prepare
tons which If the fire has not gained
too much Roadway, are sufficient to
extinguish it. This process would be
in preventing the spread.
The cheapness Of this process and it's
at any moment makes it a
good thing for even the
smallest villages to own. and the gen.
eral use of such protection would GER
tainiy save much valuable property.
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