FIRE PREVENTION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 78, 23 November 1931, Page 6

FIRE PREVENTION

A NATIONAL PROBLEM WEEK'S EDU CATIONAL EFFORT TCLREDUCE LOSSES PROGRAMME IN ROTORUA To-day is the commencement of Fire-prevention Week, a movement to impress upon the public the serious loisses isustained in New Zealand every year by carelessness in not taking proper precautions to prevent destruction by fire. The action of the Government in suggesting that a fire-prevention week should be held throughout the country has been rendered necessary owing to the alarming increase in the number of fires occurring in recent years.- The seriousnass of the present posit1 on has been generally recognised and the Department of Internal Affairs has received promises of cooperation and assistance from practically all of the municipal authorities and fire boards in the- Dominion. All that is now necessary to obtain results is that the individual members of the public should also give their co-operation to the fire-prevention movement. "Fire-prevention is definitely an economy measure," said the Hon. A. Hamilton, Minister of Internal Affairs, in a booklet issued in connec-

tion with the movement, "both to the nation and also — since it is only in exceptional cases that insurance covers the total loss — to the individual. It should also be noted that it is an economy which will not restrict the spending power of the community and does not cost money, but only a little care and thought with regard to fire." The fire loss in most European countries is very much lower than that in New Zealand and the general carelessness which is largely the cause of our greater loss is probably due in a considerable measure to a difference in our national viewpoint with regard to fire. In New Zealand a peiteon who has a fire in his home or business premises is regarded as a subject for sympathy if his personal loss is heavy. In Europe he is regarded largely as a public offender. No Sympathy in Europe. In France if a fire gets outside a -

man's premisesi and damages his neighbour's property he has to pay his neighbour's loss. In Germany, if a man has a fire, the first person who calls to offer his condolence is the policeman. Carelessness is assumed from the fact that the fire has occurred. If the man cannot prove that he had taken every reasonable precaution to prevent just such a fire occurring, he is fined for his negligence and has to pay for the unnecessary service rendered by the fire brigade. For the purpose of carrying but the fire-prevention movement wlr'ch commences to-day special self -inspection cards for business premises and information booklets have'' been issued by the Department of Internal Affairs and a request is made that the public use them this week to make sure that their premises are safe as regards fire. One of the booklets contains a questionaire, which was

prepared after consultatbn with the superintendents of the Institute of Engineers of Great Britain, giving all the important fire hazards likely to occur in business premises. The] other gives information in connection with fire-prevention week and many interesting facts about this destructive element. Rotorua Programmej The following programme will be carried out by the Rotorua fire brigade in front of the fire station on Thursday evening at 8 p.m. to demonstrate the fire-fighting apliances in use in this town: Both engines will be placed on the roadway in front of the stat'on and four and threemen standard squad drill will be carried out; ladder drill by two squads off No 2 machine, jump sheet drill; life line drill; smoke helmet drill; respiration drill; alarm, turn out both machines in answer to automatic alarm, return to station and run out two leads from each machine (dry practice) ; alarm, n4ght squad turn out, return to station and show water through two deliveries; one man event by Fireman Stewart; four men event by the Chilton Cup team.

The fire station will be open to visitors each evening and members of the brigade will be in attendance to explain the working of the plant. A street alarm box has been fitted up in the watch-room and connected to the station instruments so that v'sitors will be able to see what takes place when a call is received.