Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12
FIRE PREVENTION
F.. WORK DISCUSSED
Federal Council Hears of Ac-
tivitieS in Government
Establishments.

A review Of work to reduce fire haz'
ards In the various establishments o!
the Government in and outside Of
Washington was given at the quarterly
meeting of the Federal Fire Council held
Friday in the Commerce Building, at
tended by % representatives with DR.
George K. Burgess as chairman.
Capt. r. C. Montgomery, chief OF the
protection division in the Office of Pub
lie Buildings and Public Parks Of the
National Capital, described the fire pre-
vention and protection activities in con-
nection with the public buildings under
the supervision Of his Office. This in
cludes a wide range Of buildings rang
ing from temporary frame structures to
monumental buildings such as the
Lincoln Memorial and Washington
Monument. Buildings acquired for
demolition in connection with the Fed
eral building program also come under
his supervision, numbering about so at
present
War Structures Hazards.
The buildings causing his Office the
most concern from the standpoint Of
fire hazard, Capt. Montgomery said. are
the large temporary buildings con-
structed in 1917 and 1918 to house war
activities. While a few, such as the
Navy and Munitions Building, are of
fire resistive construction. most of them
are frame buildings. These buildings
house 10000 employees.
No fire loss of any consequence had
occurred in connection with these tenn
porary structures until the fire last year
which destroyed the quarters occupied
by the Federal Trade Commission and
bureaus of the Department of Labor. at
a loss of S164,000. For the preceding
seven-year period some 400 fires have
occurred in the buildings under the
control of his office, Capt. Montgomery
said, most of them extinguished before
any damage of consequence occurred.
The total loss from these fires was given
as about 81 800 or about 81 per fire. In
only seven cases was the fire depart
ment called and in only three cases was
it necessary to go into action.
Employees Drills Aid.
This record was established by sus-
tanned fire prevention work aided by
drills of employees in the proper use of
extinguishing equipment. AS an ex-
ample. each Of the 1850 hand fire ex-
tinguiSherS located in these buildings
are recharged each year.
Capt. Montgomery said his office
anticipates with satisfaction the demo-
lition of the last of the temporary war
structures and the substitution of types
of modern flreproof buildings such as
are being erected under the new pro-
gram.
DR.. Burgess in opening the meeting.
called attention to the fact that it was
the first anniversary of the organiza-
ton of the Federal Fire Council on
April 3, 1880. He reviewed the years
activities. These included surveys of
the institutions under the Board of
Public Welfare of the District of Co
lumbia which resulted in allowance for
substantial items for fire protection in
the appropriation bill for the coming
fiscal year.
Following an inspection Of the Senate
wing of the Capitol and the Senate
Once Building, an appropriation of
100000 was made available at the last
session for fire protection. Other re-
ports were made by A. G. Thomas,
chairman of the Fire Hazards Commit
tee; w. w. Dean, chairman of the
Apparatus and Appliance Committee;
DR.. H. C. Dickinson for the Committee
on Inspection and Interdepartmental
Cooperation, and H. w. Gardner Of the
United States Veterans Administra-
ton.