Evening star., 1942-08-08
Fire Prevention Week
Observance Called
Need in War Effort
Chamber Asks Tightening
Of Protective Measures
As Move for Defense

With fire more dangerous
hazard than ever during war days.
plans are being made by many
agencies for the most elaborate OBJ
servance ever held of Fire Preven-
ton Week, October to 10. Real
estate interests are vitauy inter
ested
Not only are officials and fire de-
partments paying special attention
to the subject, but it is expected
that the Nationwide organization
for civilian defense against air raids
will take advantage of the oppor-
tunity to stress the necessity of tight
ening up all protective measures.
President Roosevelt's proclama-
ton recently designating the dates
for observation of Fire Prevention
Week was followed swiftly by an
nouncement from the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States that
1t plans for the most intensive and
effective observance of the event
since the week first was proclaimed
by President Wilson in 1920"
20 Years of Action.
For 20 years the chamber, with
Its l,700 member organizations rep
resenting an underlying member
ship OF more than million busi-
nessmen, has collaborated with
Government agencies and the 81
organizations comprising the Ma
tional Fire Waste Council in making
Fire Prevention Week significant
occasion in reducing the Nations
enormous annual fire waste. Par
ticularly active in this program have
been the nearly 600 chambers of
commerce in as many cities which
actively participate in the cham
ber's annual inter chamber fire
waste contest.
In 1941 the national fire loss
amounted to $304, 900, 900 and for the
f1rst six months of this year the
loss approached s171 ,OOO, 1000. or 4 per
cent greater than the comparable
period in 1941.
Every year fire takes a .oll of
10000 lives throughout the country
and a very much larger number are
injured by fire. In the first six
months OF 1912 there were 80 fires
IN the United States each involving
an estimated loss of $25O,OOO or
more, many OF which were in war
production plants or in essential
wartime facilities such as ware
houses, ships and piers. But in
some cases even small fires occur
ring IN plants under subcontract
making some essential part for large
airplanes or other implements of
war have held up assembly lines of
large war production factories.
Called Critical Year.
I'm this critical year" saws q
chamber statement, when everv
fire diverts material and manpower
from decisive war production, inter-
rupts and impedes the war program
and In many cases destroys vital
materials and facilities that cannot
be replaced, it is important that
public and private organizations Join
in an intensive effort to eliminate
fire hazards.
To-day, when full war production
Is the concern Of every citizen, we
simply cannot afford our costly
peacetime national extravagance of
preventable fire losses. It is, there
fore, the duty Of very person and
every organization in the Nation to
eliminate all ordinary fire hazards
and to give fullest cooperation to
national and local government
agencies in essential measures for
protecting Industrial plants, civilian
population and vital resources from
uncontrolled fire.
Eternal vigilance is continuously
necessary in observance of the we'll
known principles of fire safety and
protection, but concentration on Fire
Prevention Week this year affords
opportunity for intensifying and re-
emphasizing its Importance.
The chamber pointed out that fire
insurance policies should be re-ex-
amined now to ascertain if they rep
resent proper indemnity of prop
erty In light of any enhancement in
value due to increased building
costs and in the light of the pres
ent scarcity of materials and con-
sequent difficulty in building.