Evening journal., 1922-08-10

| water EublneeIlngs mas written al
article dealing with fire fighting an,
fire prevention in Wilmington, whicl
appears in the issue for August 2
giving detail information OF vital in
terest TO every one. The chile
writes as follows:
LET THB CITIZENS BE THE FIRE
PREVENTERS AND THE FIRE.
MEN THE FIRE FIGHTERS.
(Slogan of the Wilmington FirC
Department.
| What consider the most I'M
portant asset of any Fire Depart
ment, no matter where II Is. or how
good II is, is the assistance rendered
II by the citizens BY this term as
sistance. I mean not only the ordln-
| airy everyday fire-prevention
methods employed in the citizens
home. and the keeping of his cellar
and alleyways clear from rubbish
and burnable material, but mean
| by educating themselves as much as
possible to the duties of the fireman.
and the workings of the Fire De-
partment.
To obtain this education. the aver
age citizen does not have to 20 TO
the Firemen's Instruction school, or
study Fire fighting and Fire Pre-
vention from books. although both
these are very good. He merely has
TO read the columns in the daily
| newspapers. devoted to fire preven-
ton. and accounts OF the daily fires.
These accounts OF fires gives the
companies responding to the fire, the
location, the nature OF the fire, the
cause, where possible. the delays ex-
perienced by the fire companies In
responding 10 the fire, or after they
arrived there, and the damage
caused by these delays, or any de-
fective conditions run into by the
hremen. This last, damage caused
by these delays, or any defective
conditions run by the firemen" Is the
point that the citizen should thor
oughly acquaint himself with.
After reading these accounts II
they will only interest themselves 10
consider Just what delays and defec-
tive conditions would have 10 be
overcome in order to extinguish a
fire in their home. their neighoor-
hood. or their city, they would
quickly busy themselves in having
these conditions overcome betore
the fire actually starts ana tnus
save the trouble and money, ana
perhaps life that the fire department
viii have in overcoming them.
II should be OF vital interest to the
c,t,zens 70 know II the fire hydraDts
in his neighborhood are working
properly. II there is SUFFICIENT
pressure on them; II the fire alarm
system near them Is working prop
erlv. and II not where the nearest
point IS that the alarm system
working. If the streets In front OF
their homes are in At condition TOT
Are engines TO efficiently work there
~ their homes were aflre; II the
buildings next door are in proper
condition to hold a FIRE that started
IN II. or II. when they go into
hotel for a room they know Just
where the nearest exit to the nre
escane is; If they throw cigar OF
cigarette stumps. lighted on the
SCR OF any building. etc. Anu
especially the insurance agents.
lhey would only trouble themselves
10 ascertain the value OF properly
md contents OF buildings that they
insure. Too much cannot be saiu
u this last item.
Where the people will not Volun- ,
arilv educate themselves along TINS !
Inc laws should be made TO compel
hem to do so. At present in this ]
itv considerable trouble Is being eN- '
.erienced in making the people {
eal,ze the importance Of properly q
buildings. proper erec- 7
lon of fire escapes, and most OF an
, making the insurance ageh's
erifv the value OF buildings ana S
ontents that they insure. l nave /
nmber OF ordinances, and laws Tor
he city Council and the state d
legislature to pass at their next !
esslons. These laws deal especially Z
With regulation of installing gasollne I
anks (the present laws are 100 y
enient). the proper installation OF O
ire escapes. the lighting OF all hall n
ravs In rooming houses with ap- 3
,-oyed lights. burning OF rubbish O
nc. within city limits and the max o
NJ q. q rnisdemeanor for insurance q
cents 70 insure a building or con-
erts for more than the actual value y
Z rseh buildings and contents
arriving With a rule 20 have such
gents make Inspections at regular
tate6 periods 20 see that the build
nxs arS contents value Is not de-
.rease1 "a any manner.
A number % actual cases which ~
viii plainly demonstrate the I'M
,ortance of public education, ana "
he lack OF public education are L
hown herewith. 1
First Of all we have the papers Y,
nth US, and we have considerable n
mount OF press work 20 acqualnt
40 nublic with our workings. Tne Z,
re inspectors continually instruct @
"a nersous. whose homes and build g
,gs they inspect in the proper 7
.ethods of handling eXtingulsherS u
oring wood. sending OF alarms I,
orsge OF materials, etc
About one month ago a can was {,
.-eIved over our Fire Phone ir
- = woman greatly excited, VINO IT
.-..es NY house is aiire'-sne o.
--ssaz.siy hung up. and all efforts II
-. coanecied with her were c,
-1s rt
ss...z 3 -ssk from that. another o,
.zsz eaEs5. and said The house e.
I -ss a.-rsr = z6ra.- and hung up
Az,a1- Eva EzEE sEo.a man called
) f-1--y s-s -lcT-rlrV t-s- outside OF
As cry. sn6 szs ~2oEsIls calling. III
.s-s "a Z ssG-Hs z1rs here" and 81
--g ~ CO