Evening star., 1936-07-04
OFFICIAL ADVISORY
AGENCY TO AID IN
CONTROL PROGRAM
Action Result of Blaze in
New Post Office Building
| in Winter.
PERSONNEL SELECTED
| FOR NEW ORGANIZATION
Special Attention to Be Paid Pre-.
venting Damage to Valuable
Papers.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
The Federal Fire Council-a brand
new agency-has been set up by exec
utive order as an official agency in
matters relating to the protection of
Federal employees and property from
fire.
This action was taken by President
Roosevelt after comforting with inter
ested officials as a direct result of
the fire in the new Post Office De-
partment building last December IS.
At that time the President said it
was imperative that there should be
better control over fire hazards in
Government buildings.
The establishment of the Federal
Fire Council follows closely the pro-
gram and policy outlined in The
Star December 16 last, quoting Chair
man O'Connor of the House Rules
Committee and Chairman Golden of
the Comittee on Disposition of Useless
Executive Papers.
The President has delegated the
dACSOO4 VI I11C
master general, the Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General, the chief of the
Bureau of Yards and Docks, the di-
rector of the National Park Service
the director of the National Bureau
Of Standards and the archivist of
the United States as a governing body
which shall elect one of its members
to serve as chairman of the Federal
Fire Council, and shall appoint such
other officers and committees as it
may deem necessary to carry out the
functions of the council.
To Serve Without Pay.
The members of this council. to
serve without additional compenSa-
tion, are to be such officers or en-
ployes of the various departments and
establishments of the Federal Govern
ment and of the government of the
District as shall be designated by the
respective administrative officers. Each
department and establishment and
the District government is entitled
to one representative on the council.
and the governing body may designate
additional representatives if it wishes.
This new Federal Fire Council is
authorized to develop standards, pro-
cedures and forms and, on request, to
conduct surveys or such other investi-
cations as may be necessary to deter
mine what measures should be taken
to safeguard life and property from
the hazards of fire, including review
of plans for new construction. The
council is also authorized to make
such independent studies Of Federal
buildings and property as it may deem
desirable from the standpoint of fire
protection and to maintain a record
of fire losses on Government property.
To Report on Findings.
The councils duty is to report the
results of such investigations and
studies to the head of the agency con-
cerned, together with its recommen-
dationS.
The National Bureau OF Standards
is requested by the Presidents execu-
tive order to assist the council, in an
advisory capacity, on technical mat
ters relating to fire prevention and
the protection of Government prop
erty from fire.
1t is also requested that in case of
fires involving Government records
the agency concerned notify the Ma
tional Archives and obtain its advice
as to methods by which the maximum
salvage of the records involved may be
obtained.
| The executive order creating the
Federal Fire Council is the first step
toward a model fire control system in
the National Capital. This governing
body is expected to adopt an inspec-
ton plan with exact instructions re-
garding details and completeness Of
the investigation regarding all fire
hazards, human safety and the pro-
lection of valuable Government rec
ords. A safety code for all depart
ments IS expected to be announced at
an early date.
One Of the most interesting and i'm
portant phases of this new agencys
work will be the handling of valuable
documents and records, which might
be damaged not only by fire but by the
water and careless and rough han
ding. 1t is contemplated that sort
of wrecking crew be organized whose
duty it would be to be on hand as
promptly as the fire marshal. This
crew would include persons who un-
derstand the value Of records and who
would be prepared to have them prop
erly wrapped and carried away before
they were seriously damaged.
Also under consideration is the pro-
posal to have installed a fire preven-
ton and detection system, rather than
fire extinguishtng system.