The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-30
Capital City Makes Best Record
in Fire Protection.
Guess Work Is Eliminated il
Present Method.
HAS BECOME A SCIENCE
Report Made by E. j. Stewart of
Inspection Bureau.
Seventy-Six Kansas Cities
Graded by Inspectors.

The fire insurance business has be-
come a science, according to E. J.
Stewart, engineer of the Kansas in
spection bureau
Guess work which was necessary in
the early days of the business has
been eliminated and instead rates are
made by applying schedules prepared
along engineering lines and expert
ence. All Kansas cities with water
works are graded from an insurance
standpoint by the inspection bureau,
which is maintained comparatively by
the $50 fire insurance companies do
ing business in the state. The sched-
ules are filed with and approved by
the state insurance department.
Topeka I'm the Lead.
According to the latest gradings on
file, Topeka leads the state from the
standpoint of fire protection, with
Kansas City, Kan, a close second and
Wichita third The classification
given to cities by the inspection bu-
reau has a direct relation to the fire
pel1a, for example, pays 81 for in
surance which costs $1.33 in the poor
est protected waterworks cities, all
other conditions being the same
THE grading schedule now in use
in Kansas and in most other states"
said Engineer Stewart, lis based upon
the plan of assigning to various fea-
lures Of fire defense, points of def
cheney depending upon the extent of
variance from standards formulated
from study of conditions in more than
500 cities; the natural and structural
conditions which increase the general
hazard OF cities and the lack of laws
or of their enforcement for the con-
troll of unsatisfactory conditions are
graded in the same way
Points of Deficiency.
The maximum sum of points of de-
lot 80
ance with the relative values of the
features considered as follows: Wa
ter supply, 100 points; fire depart
ment, 1900; structural conditions,
700; fire alarm, $50; hazards, 800;
building laws; 200. and police, So
under water supply. And there are
several subjects under the other
heads.
Since abnormal climatic conditions
affect fire losses, consid Grafton is also
given to excessive winds, excessive
snowfall, severe cold weather and ex-
tended periods Of hot, dry weather
The four principal things consid-
cred in establishing rates on business
buildings and their contents are con-
struction, occupancy, protection and
exposure. Dwellings are not individ-
uaily inspected for rate-making pur-
poses.
Rate for Frame Dwelling.
The rats for a frame dwelling with
shingle roof is 2S cents in a well pro-
tected city such as Topeka, while the
rate is 40 cents in an entirely unpro-
tected city. If the same dwelling were
of brick construction with an incom-
bustible roof. the rates would be 20
cents for a well protected and 80 cents
for an unprotected city.
The work of the inspection bureau
is constructive in that recommended
tons are made to tie cities as to how
they can improve conditions and OBJ
tain better insurance ratings. Indi-
viduals. too. may submit their con-
struction plans to the bureau and OBJ
tain suggestions which may result in
much lower rates.
Sevcnty-Six Cities Graded.
Seventy-s of the 230 Kansas cities
with fire protection have been graded
by the inspection bureau since the ma =
tional system was dopted last August.
About twenty-five inspectors are at
work for the bureau making minute
surveys of all conditions affecting fire
risks. All cities will be graded under
the new system probably by late in
1922
Topeka. wichita, Leavenworth. Ar
kansas City, Fort Scott. Clay Center,
Ottawa, Parsons. Coffeyville, Winfield,
Lawrence and Manhattan are among
the cities which are contemplating or
have recel tly put in extensive i'm
Provements which may result in a
higher grading. Emporia recently bet
tered its condition soma four hundred
points by enacting fire prevention and
protection ordinances and by improv-
ing the wat@r system in general.
Gradings for Kansas Cities.
The latest gradings for representa-
tive cities of the k'ate. with the cate
made, are shown below Certain grad
ings made by the national board of
underwriters have been adopted by
the Kansas bureau. subject to a new
inspections
Deficiency