The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-03-05
WOULD PREVENT FIRE PANIcs
State Official Shows That Fire Drill Is
Valuable For Use in Times of Ex-
element in Schools Even if the
Buildings May Not be on Fire.

All of the school officials of Kenosha
have received communication from
the state fire marshal, Glenn P. Host,
asking that they give more attention
to fire drills Kenosha was one of the
first cities in the state to adopt the
plan Of drilling the children in escap-
ing from buildings in case Of fire and
in most of the schools the fire drill has
been fixture for many years. In
discussing the plans for fire drills
Mr.. Host says in his letter:
Fire drills are aimed not so much
at the fire as at the panic which usual
" accompanies it, The principal thing
is to prevent the panic. The two
points that are to be considered are,
frst-Order; and second Rapidly.
See to it that the fire alarm system is
always in perfect working order, See
that the exit facilities are sufficient
and are always unobstructed 1t is US
ually advisable to have the children
march out two by two, and where pos
sible the march should be accompanied
by music or singing to divert the minds
of the pupils. Teachers should al
ways follow to be certain that no child
has been left behind. Some Of the
older children might be detailed as
monitors, with certain fixed duties for
the different monitors that are assign
ed 1t is important to teach the pupils
in the course of fire drills to overcome
obstacles, and to be prepared to meet
emergencies, in the event of an
actual fire.
All doors should open outward, and
these exit doors should never be locked
during school sessions. Fire drills
should be to the fire escapes as well
rs to the exits, and should conclude
with continued march of the children
out of and away from the school build
ing. | believe it is especially import
ant tn hold occasionally fire fighting
instruction program There should be
short talks by the teachers on fire pre-
yention and the evils of carelessness.
1T is important that these lessons
should be as free as possible from ex-
element and should be addressed to
NE common sense Of the pupils rather
than to their imagination.
believe that stories of the fire hor-
rors and particular reference to disas
ters in schools usually do more harm
tan good, and should be avoided. Fire
is particularly fascinating to many
people and especially to children, and
l believe that pyromania is frequently
caused by arousing the Imagination
and excitement Of children by stories
of great FIRE disasters and by seeing
such calamities illustrated by NOV
irg pictures.
The fire drill should be business
like affair, conducted in business-like
manner, and for the special purpose of
getting out of and away from the
building as rapidly as possible. Fire
drills should he practiced frequently
and at irregular and secret times, as
these repetitions will familiarize child
rem with their duties and in the event
of fire they will not be taken unawares
Our department. has complied list
of fatalities resulting from fire, taken
from clippings Of local state newspap-
ers, furnished the department. by a
state clipping bureau. For the first
SIX months of the present fiscal year,
commencing July l, 1913, our statisti-
cal tables show the following deaths
from fire during those six months:
July, z; AUGUST, 16; September, S;
October, IS; November, 4; December
s; total, 5S. Of. the causes assigned
the most frequently for the fires re-
sulting in the IS deaths, children plav-
lng with matches was given ten times.
carelessness with gasoline nine, and
starting or fastening stove fires with
kerosene eight Thus it will be seen
that nearly onehalf the fires result
ing in these deaths had their origin
from only three of the most common
fire causes. Using the multiple Of
three, which the United States govern
ment employs in such cases, there were
also IVA very serious injuries from
HAes uurlAg the same nal1 year period.
On the assumption that the same ratio
OF deaths andtserious injuries from fire
will continue for the succeeding six
months, this would give 116 fatalities
and S48 serious casualties for the
whole year.
AS this state has most fortunately
been spared any great school house
holocausts, such as several other parts
Of our country have seen even IN re-
cent years, we have quoted the above
statistics in order to show that the
hire fend is ever lurking, near, and that
the greatest care and caution should
De exercised, especially where as in
the schools large numbers of human
beings are gathered together for so
much Of the times