The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-26
FIRE DANGER IS
REDUCED HERE
Capital Property Owners Are
Careful to Put Every Law
in Effect.
PROSECUTIONS ARE RARE
New Buildings Made Safe and In
spected Before They Are Opened.
Laws Need Few Additions.

With adequate regulations. frequent in
spections and rigid enforcement of the
| law. the danger to life from fire in the
District has been reduced to a minimum,
according to municipal officials.
The public schools Of the city are
model from a standpoint of safety from
fire, they say. The District Commission
ers are particularly concerned with hav-
ing the buildings rendered as safe as
constructive genius will permit, and an
investigation recently conducted by in
spectors connected with the Office of
Building Inspector Norris Hacker re-
vealed the fact that they are remark
ably secure.
Prosecutions Rare.
The people of the city for the most
part have an unusual regard for the
fire regulations. according to the officials.
and prosecutions rarely are necessary.
Verbal request for the remedying of I'M
satisfactory conditions almost always
bring desired results. II the suggestions
are not complied with. formal notices
are sent out. and as rule they have
a magic effect. Occasionally owners of
buildings after receiving th9 notices are
remise and fail to comply With the reg
ulations. In such cases, prosecutions
Immediately follow.
About the only way now in which the
factor of safety can be increased is
through the appointment of additional in
spectors. making it possible to establish
more frequent Inspections Fire Marshal
P. W. Nicholson has under his direction
only five inspectors, and they are kept
busy each day from early in the morning
until late at night, for their field is an
enormous one to cover. They succeed in
N-isi ho, bull l,;l
the last fiscal year. 25,5I4 such inspec-
tons were made. Under this schedule
it is possible for inspectors to visit apart
ment houses only about twice a year.
While this situation involves no distinct
danger. it is felt that more frequent in
s2ections might increase the degree of
safety.
Laws Not quite Satisfactory.
The fire regulations themselves are not
entirely satisfactory to the officials but
are as far-reaching as the courts will
permit The regulations provide that very
rigid specifications in connection with fire.
proof construction shall be adhered to |
in the erection of new buildings such as |
theaters, hotels. and office structures. |
The regulations likewise provide that old |
buildings shall be so altered as to furnish |
a certain degree of fireproof construction, |
Building Inspector Hacker would like to |
go further and provide that old build |
inEs be required to be fireproof through |
out. But in many cases that would in (!
volve practically the reconstruction of !
the entire building from foundation up !
ward, and so when he recommended that |
such a regulation be promulgated the |
corporation counsel pointed out that 1t |
would not be feasible. the courts would |
q almost certain In declora he
ton confiscatory.
Consequently there are a number of |
buildings in Washington which are not |
fireproof and which would not be permit
ted had it not been that they were in ex- /.
istence when the fire regula tons were |!
promulgated. These structures are not !!
regarded as dangerous by District Off |,
Gals. for certain fireproof construction |
features are required. But the authorities !
feel that the factor of safety would be |
increased if the buildings were freproof |
throughout
New Buildings Made Safe.
Mr.. Hacker yesterday explained that |
every new building carefully is inspected |,
during course of construction and that i
the official stamp of approval is not given !
until all the specifications dealing with |
fire prevention and safety have been COM |
Piled with in every detail. He read |
numerous excerpts from the building reg
ulations and added that each of them ,
rigidly was enforced with a view tc |
minimizing the fire danger.
Mr.. Hacker said the fire escape law |
now is being complied with in all sections /
Of the city. Several years ago 1t was |
found that many apartment houses and |
boarding houses were not equipped and |
scores of owners were threatened with |
prosecution. Since then fire escapes |
have been erected in all quarters and |
now just about all buildings which fall |
under the law are equipped. OCCASION |
ally private dwelling is converted into |
an apartment house by an owner who is |
not familiar with the fire escape regu- |
lation. 1t frequently takes considerable !
time TO locate these unwilling violators |
OF the law.
The fire regulations deal not only |
with building construction. but also with |
the installation of exit" lights and fire |
escape" placards and with the furnishing |
Of numerous other guarantees Of safety. |