Milford chronicle., 1956-09-28
Nations Fire Loss
Is Growing Daily

named Nero is said to have sat
by playing the fiddle while the
city of Rome, then the center OF
civilization, burned to ashes
around him. Nero evidently set
quite a precedent, for today a lot
of people are still fiddling around
while the nations FIRE loss annual
ly takes a dreadful toll.
More than 1900 homes in the
United States will burn today
and another 1900 will burn every
day of the year-affecting the lives
of more than 1000 persons each
day. In addition, an estimated los
factories, 116 stores, IA schools,
eight churches, five theatres and
four hospitals can expect to battle
flames each day.
What is the total tab for these
fires, q shocking portion of which
was caused by pure carelessness
According to j, r. DeHaven, vice
president of Employers Mutual
Fire Insurance Company of Wau-
sau, Wis, it amounts to more than
two million dollars day. And
worse, an average of 33 lives are
lost and 65 other persons are in
jured or disfigured every day be-
cause of fire.
But, frightening as these sta
tistics are, a lot of communities
are awakening to the problem,
and DeHaven's home town is an
example of what might be accom-
plished in your own community
not just during National Fire Pre-
vention Week, which will be OBJ
served October 7-13 this year-but
every day of the week all year
long.
Wausau, which for two consec-
utive years won the title of Safest
City in America" in the National
Safety Councils annual traffic
contest, was for a number of years
among the highest per capita-it
has a population of 32,000-in fire
loss in the country. Today Wausau
is one of the lowest per capita in
fire loss and it's steady progress in
the field of fire prevention was eli
NAKED this year with first place
award for fire protection in its
population class in a National
Chamber of Commerce Citation.
Last year every possible resource
of the city was tapped in the con-
centrated anti-fire crusade, with
every man, woman and child re-
ceiving constant exposure to fire
prevention messages during the
drive.
Here are a few of the things
which Wausau did to bring home
TO it's citizens the need for increas-
ed watchfulness against fire:
A Fire Marshaps Home Re-
port" consisting of a check list
of prominent fire hazards was dis
tributed from Fire Chief Wilbur
Potzolds headquarters to 1900
homes-and $500 completed forms
were returned by Wausau home
ownersl
Housewives in 1925 homes ask
ed for, and received, fire depart
ment inspections of their homes.
This year they expect to carry on
surprise" inspections i'll the
homes.
The schools pitched in with fire
prevention demonstrations in the
classrooms, and the fire depart
ment staged first aid classes for
ousewives-which played to ca
pacity audiences. Special classes
also were held for baby sitters.
Local ministers cooperated fully
and many of them based a number
of sermons on the theme of com
munity cooperation in the drive
against the peril of fire mot the
birthstone kind.
Special classes in fire preven
ton were arranged for hospita
nurses, All groups, scouts anC
other organizations. 8 fire safety
poster and essay contest YVES stag
ed in the local schools during Fire
Prevention Week in May.
OF vital Importance to the sue
cess of the drive was the coopera.
ton given by the local press, ra.
dio and television which covered
and reported all the major activi.
ties in Wausau's war on fire.
Looking back, DeHaven is of the
firm belief that any community
can accomplish what was done in
his town. "The first job is to lei
people know just what their care
lessness can cost them in terms
of dollars and lives" he declares
after that it's simply a case OF
getting people on their toes and
imbuing them with the spirit oi