Norwich bulletin., 1917-10-12
FIRE PREVENTION < IS GOAL SOUGHT
 Chairman of Defense Council TeIIs of Work Planned for State.

Richard M. Bissell chairman of the Connecticut state council of defense, has sent a circular letter to the chair men of county and town committees advising them of the steps which have 1 been taken in the way of conservation in the matter of fire prevention and so- l The letter is as follows:
 l. The stock fire insurance com panies of America acting through the National Board of Fire underwriters, public service organization in addi- ton to direct service to the govern ment in various ways have inaugurated
 nation wide campaign designed to of this nation by cooperating with property owners to prevent the destruc- tion of. property by. fire.
 To this end the engineers and in-3
 companies have been organized in the
 several state. into conservation asso-
 citations and the Connecticut State
 Conservation association was organiz =. general scheme has the active sup port of the Council of National De-
 fense, the governors and he fire mar
 Shals of the several states, and at the
 Defense is receiving the hearty CO.,
 operation of all State Councils of De- fense therefore has pledged its hearty
 cooperation in this movement.
 Inspection to Begin Right Away.
 We are advised that the State Con
 servation association has districed the
 sate and will begin immediately to in
 spect all properties of any considerable
 value within the state for the purpose
 of recommending to. the owners there
 of ways and means by which the
 danger from fire may be eliminated or
 lessened. Certain classes of property
 will not receive this service, viz; first
 the highly protected properties which are under constant supervision of the Factory insurance association or of the Factory Mutual Insurance com panies; second, properties of compara- lively insignificant value. especially when so located as to be difficult and expensive of access; and third dwell ing houses, churches schools and a few other non-hazardous classes, though as to these inspections may be had at the request of your committees where the time of the inspectors can be made available.
 The inspectors engaged in this work will come as the representatives of the State Council of Defense. and of the State government, and not as anw fire insurance com pany. They have been instructed when making their inspections not to discuss insurance matters or to disclose the name of the fire insurance company on whose work they are ordinarily en- gagged. The service rendered will be without cost to the state or to the owners whose properties are to be inspected. The inspectors will l each be provided with a card of au- issued by the governor of the state and countersigned by the state fire marshal and by the chairman of 1 the Connecticut State Council of De- fense.
 Larger Cities First.
 "The work will begin in the larger cities of the stae, and will be gradual 1 ly widened until all the. towns of the 1: state have been visited. Before the in ] spection in owns begins the visiting | of our town committees l and you are therefore urged to inform ! the members of youRr committee as to 1 this undertaking and to arrange in | every possible way to help he in spectors with their work when you l shall have been advised of their com | ing. This help can we'll take the form of calling together a few influential l and representative property owners so l tha he work Of the inspectors may be l received in the spirit in which it is l owners may understand that l the appeal of the inspectors will be l! made to hem as trustees having in | thier custory certain property which | in the last analysis belongs to the ma i ton ,aYd which 1t is the duty of the 1 owners thereof to preserve as a part l of the resources and assets of this | stae and of this country.
 This movement Is part of the gen 1 eral nationwide campaign to prevent l the waste Of the cOuntry's resources in a. material reduction of the losses by | fires pul7fc11 might nth n~e,,r,