The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1916-10-05
Fire Marshal Writes
About Fire Prevention

Office of Fire Marshal, Bismarck,
N. D.
Oct. 8, 1916, has been set apart by
proclamation Of Hon. l.. B. Hanna,
governor Of our state, as Fire Proven
tidn Day, and those of us who are en-
gagged in fire prevention work know
what great benefit it would be to all
our citizens if they would take heed
of this proclamation, and il not con-
venient to devote whole day to the
matter of fire prevention, at least
portion of the day to the inspection
of their places of business Every
home, be it ever so humble, and this
applies to the rural districts, includ-
ing farm houses. barnes, granaries and
all other buildings, should have a gen.
eral cleaning up, and as the long, cold
winter is about to come upon us, look
over the stoves and heating plants,
carefully inspect the pipes leading
through partitions and walls and
thorough inspection of chimneys and
lues. REMEMBER THIS, that dur
ing the year ending June 80, 1915, the
fire loss reported to the fire marshal's
office givinfi as the cause reflective
chimneys" alone amounted to over
$192,O00.00.
Prevention Continued
The best authorities we have in the
United States give us the startling in
formation that from 65 to II per cent
of all fires occurring within year are
easily preventable. Just think that
over, Mr.. Citizen, and harken to this!
Much has been said, and much is yet
to be said by all statesmen about pre-
paredness, and the same has been dis
cussed by every citizen of our repub-
lie. A great amount Of money, almost
/ too great to be comprehended by the
individual, has been appropriated for
preparedness. The annual fire losses
per annum in these United States
States amounts in round numbers to
something over 25O millions of dollars.
Add to this the 315 millions appropri
ated for preparedness and you will
see that the amount is about 900 mil
lions, and then ask yourself what
share of this amount falls on you.
Why should we spend so much
money and human force and energy in
fighting fires after they have been
started? Why not give more atten-
ton to preventing them? This de-
partment could cite hundreds of in
stances of bringing some particular
case to the attention of the public.
| But why should not we, as men and
women, grasp this great question that
causes such loss of life and property
! in our own state and enter with a
heart into the active study of fire pre-
vention The children in the school
can be made great factor in the pre-
vention Of fire. They are apt, aggres.
! sive and earnest, just as soon as you
prove to them the worth of their ef-
forts.
One city in this state, during CIV
en- period, gives each pupil in the city
school slip of paper with a dozen
questions as to the best method of
preventing fires, and each child that
returns the slip with at least five or
; more questions answered by himself
, and signed by his parents receives a
free ticket to a good moving picture
show. Some Of us older ones could
learn lessons from these little slips of
Fire Departments
Encoura cement should be given to
our small city and village fire depart
ments, but, we are sorry to say, just
the opposite sometimes exists, and in
some of the small cities and villages
the governing body is found hostile to
the fire department up to the time
their property is endangered by fire,
and for the time the volunteer fire.
men, who by the way, have no proper
ty interest in the same, comes forward
F.: and in many instances proves himself
hero. You have seen it yourselves
many times. Encourage the local fire
department. Some fire department
headquarters in some of our small
cities and villages are disgrace.
| The city in many instances has both
day and night man on the pay roll
who has a hard time to put in his
time They should keep this most i'm
portant branch of the city or village
government in good shape. See to it,
Mr. Citizen, that your fire department
stations and equipment are in good
repair and we'll housed. This is fire
prevention.
Great care should be exercised in
places where oils and gasoline come
in contact with old rags, waste or
absorbent material. Numerous in
, stances might be cited where fires
have started in homes just after the
floors had been oiled, the origin in
each case having proven to be the
mops or cloths which had been used
to apply the oil and then deposited in
closed closet or corner, where they
ignited.
The railroads in our state are doing
much to prevent loss of life by acci-
dent and fire by their "safety first"
movement, yet a few mornings ago
| the writer discovered q fire being