Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-10-01
W EEK OF FIRE.
PREVENTIONTO TO
OPEN OCTOBER 9

October 8, the anniversary of the
Chicago fire of 1871, stands out in
lire history as memorable and
lamentable day for it saw the start
ing of a conflagration which almost
wiped out Chicago. This day, Octo-
Der 8, has taken it's place in fire
prevention activity as a day when
our citizens should not only give
thought to the tremendous destruc-
tion which fire can speedy accom-
plish but do their part in a ma
tional cooperative effort to reduce
fire hazards and Danish fire de-
struction.
It has been the practice of the
president of the United States Sor
many years past to make a proclaim
alton to the country for the observ-
ance of fire prevention on October
8. 1t is also the policy of the gov
ernors of many different states 10
proclaim the week ending with Octo-
Der as fire prevention week urg-
ing all the citizens of the state to
take part in reducing fire destruction.
For the past several years the OBJ
servance of fare prevention week has
grown. So praise worthy work as
that of preventing fire destruction
appeals to all good citizens. 1t Is
the right thing to do, and it Is a
constructive, patriotic duty wnicn
spreads by example and educates with
the results it's accoMplishes.
The schools are teaching the chill
dren of the country the Importance of
that no element of our citizenship is
more fruitful for cultivation on this
matter of fire prevention than the
children, in whose hands must rest
the future destiny of our country.
Ere and the destruction which 1t
can accomplish cannot be taught 700
soon and no more valuable subject
can be added to the school or college
curriculum than that which deals with
fire prevention.
An excellent program for opserv-
ance Of fire prevention week IN
schools includes the following topics
1. A talk by the teacher, localized
and made as concrete as possible.
2. Staging a "'Fire Fighting" con-
test.
8. Practical advice, including fire
alarm instruction, impaired by a
uniformed fireman.
Four additional items, which are
highly desirable if time Will allow,
are:
on whatever phase of the subject of
fire prevention has most impressed
the child himself.
5. Cutting out, folding and COM
pleting the paper fire alarm box in
miniature. Afterwards the children
should be required to recite, singly
or in unison, the successive moves to
lie made IN transmitting an alarm
of fire at box of the type instared
in their. city.
g. A fire drill.
Those who have in their charge
large property values such as manu-
featuring plants, commercial build
ings and stocks of valuable material,
all of which is subject to fire de-
strucUon, can make good use of fire
prevention week in bringing to the
attention of their employees the I'M
portance of safety against fire de-
struction.
The great majority of fires start
through someone's carelessness and
huge destruction of property occurs
each year because someone, known or
unknown, does not exercise the proper
care regarding tn fire hazards.
Lighted matches, burning cigarettes
and cigars are discarded thousands Of
times day, often in some corner in
a hurry because "the boss is around
The secret smoker is a dangerous
smoker, because it often means dis
carding lighted material without hav-
ing time to extinguHsh it and hurry
ing away thus creating possibilities
Of a fire.
u-HVRR