Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-09
FIRE PREVENTION
PREACHED TODAY
Entire Country Reached in Cam
paign to Teach Public
: of Dangers
ANNUAL LOSSES APPALLING

This Is Fire Prevention Day.
Throug ghout Pennsylvania and
throughout the United States this is
the red letter day on the fire fighters
calendar. In public schools, in stores
and factories. in dwellings, big and
little. the doctrine of fire prevention is
preached today.
In Pennsylvania especially the
Bureau of Fire Protection of the Depart
ment of State Police Is making siren
ucus efforts'to combat by education the
appalling and in great measure un-
necessary losses that recur every year
from fire.
When you hear a fire engine Changing
down the street. do you realize that
the fire around the corner is one of the
ten or twelve thousand that have to be
fought every year in this state alone?
Or that the loss, large or trifing, will
help to swell the fire total of the year
in Pennsylvania to something like
$4,000 900?
Or that in the years record of fires
in the state some 1900 men, women
and children are killed or injured?
And, most pertinent fact of all. do
YOU realize thaS of all the fires which
destroy life and property, 20 per cent
could be prevented by little trouble
and forcthought?
Annual fire loss in the United States
Mt large has grown from something
less than S13. 900 200 in 1913 to $40, =
0S3 AT in 1918.
Bulletin Quotes Wilson
In it's fire prevention bulletin. the
Bureau of Fire Protection quotes Presi
dent Wilson as follows.
'Preventable fire is more than a
private misfortune. 1t Is q public dere
fiction. At time like this II
Is more than ever matter OF deep and
pressing consequence that every means
should be taken to prevent TINS evil"
The work OF the five nyotcction bureau
goes on all the year It's job is to in
vestigate tircs Of suspicious origin ant
secure evidence against inceudiarics: tt
make inspections throughout the state
except IN Philadclnhia and Pittsburgh
of buildings where there is an undue
fire hazard: and to carry on unceasing
1y campaign of education which vii
'makc Pennsylvania fireproof.
Fireproof." is being rapidly adopted
throughout the state. Children ar,
taught fire prevention in school; fac
tory employees are made familiar witt
fire prevention methods aud shown th
dangers of carc'psSness. The work of th
e bureau is steadilv reducing the ycarl'
fire toll in the state. In the city o
Reading a'onc tho annual fire loss ha
y been rcdu"ed $40 600 in one year
through the activities of the bureau.
Reading has a volunteer fire denart
ment. Two members from each o
Readings fifteen fire companies do vol
untary inspection work in their dis
tricts. Where they cannot get fir
risk removed. report is made to Chic
Harold II. Brtz. of the Fire Prevention
Bureau Mt Harrisburg. Under the Inv
the bureau can order the risk removed
and If it is not done within a stimulate,
time. fine of S2j dav is impose,
until the order is complied with.
Aim To Educate Publ"
For five years an organized effort ha
been made throughout the country. b
frc marshG's and fire marshas' asSoca
tions. to cut down the loss of life an
property BY fire. The effort has take
the form of education of the public. an
the general practice of having specific
"cean up" days or weeks to remov
fire dangers. Fire Prevention Day,
kept on the same day everywhere, serve
as general reminder of the fire menace
and as an examination day in school
and factories in the proficiency of pupil
and workers in fire prevention. Octobc
o was chosen as the anniversary of tn
great Chicago fire. when the "wido'
O'Leary's COW" kicked over stabl
lantern and started the blaze which lai
the mid western city in ruins.
The Fire Prevention Bureau has sug
gested that owners of buildings toda
examine their premises with a view
removing waste accumulations and ar
ranging for the correction Of fire haz
ards.
Employers are asked also to civ
short talks to their employees on the sub
ject of fire prevention and protection
to be followed by fire drills.
For the schools program was car
ried out which included brief talks 9
fire prevention, and the observance {
I-all