Evening star., 1926-04-01
F|RE-ESCAPEL LAW
CLAIMED VIOLATED
Marshal to Press Fight to
Have Safeguards Installed
in Is Schools.

UnmindfuI of the indifference CON
sistentIy evidenced by superior Dis
trict of1cials and school officers over
q period Of years. the FIRE marshsl's
Office made II plain today 1t will con
tinue to press for the installation ~
modern fre escapes in is old three
story school buildings. Recommends
tion for the FIRE oscar pc equipment In
these buildings was first made in 1919.
Backing UP his conviction that his
ONCE must continue to fight for exc
cutioR Of long standing hre hazard
recommr nda tions. F. NJ. Achstetter.
deputy fire marshal. declared today
that the congressional fire escape act
is being violated in the District ny
the use OF these schois without such
FIRE escapes as recommended. The
cost Of installing the new fire escs pos
would average 81 900 for each OF the
Is buildings.
Need for Action Seen.
Admitting that the present sitns :
tion where the fire marshal Is an
nUslly making wholesale fire- hazard
recommenda ttons which are ignored
at will by oflcials in charge OF the
expenditure OF the District school
repair fund. il one deserving OF ac-
ton by the District Commissioners.
those involved today adopted differ
ent views in cOnjecturing over so
luton.
In this connection it is pointed out
that a nre hazard is highly debats BILE.
and what might appear as haza rd
to the fire ma arshal would not he so
construed by the school official.
Safety Questioned.
Municipal Architect Harris declared
| today that the installation OF the fire
/ escapes in the is buildings might
| prove a menace rather than a safety
! guard. He called attention to the
/ fact that they could not he used in
! icy weather and that there was every
| opportunity for the children to fall
! from them either in case OF FIRE or in
| diverting them to play use.
1t is the opinion Of Mr.. Harris that
! all the genuine fire hazards reported
| by the fire mashal are taken care OF
/! each year and that the schools are in
better shape in this matter than they
are in many others.
| School oficials pointed today 10 tbs
| fact that there never has been a fir'
] public school that a school house caT
| be cleared without the slightest dis
| order in less than two minutes anC
| that firemen visit the schools weekly
| 10 prevent a bad minor fire hazarC
| from continuing.
! Responsibility for carrying out tn
| recommends tions of the fire marsha
| rests with the District Commissioners
The flre marshal has only a recon-
| me ending power SO far as the. Distric
| government is concerned.
Seeks IdeaI Status.
il was stated today that the fir
ma rshsl is making recommendation
with the view of crea ting an idea
! status in the schools so far as AR
hazards are concerned. and that h
demanding that not the slightes
chance be taken he is protecting hi
office from possibility of future crit
cism in the case of calamity.
The other recommended ticn of III
appropria tion-that Of installing stes
curtains at the Central and Dunba
High Schools-is known TO he rega RI
ed as unnecessary in some schoC
quarters A canvass Of school aud
toriums in q number OF cities the siz
OF Washington has revealed that thes
auditoriums are not required 10 abid
by the "a me strict regulation govern
ing public theaters.