The Chief Scout- talk

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 309, 31 December 1930, Page 15

The Chief Scouttalk

(By LORD, BADEN-POWELL, CHIEF SCOUT.)

TO THE RESCUE

You have of course been taught in your "First Aid" work what to do with people who have been badly scalded or burnt or suffocated with smoke. Also, you have been taught how to rescue people from fire by crawling along under the smoke and fumes, with your head near the draught which blows near the floor and with wet handkerchief over nose, mouth and eyes; and how to drag an insensible person with a rope round your own shoulders.

When you • have been taught these things don't go and forget them again, but have a little quiet practice of them every now aud then.. In this way you ■will be prepared to do the right thing and to save life when suddenly the chance comes.

Whenever I sleep in a strange house my first idea is how I am to escape supposing the place catches fire in the night. It is quite interesting to work out how you are going to do it.'

I was once stopping at a small country hotel only three storeys ■ high, with a single rickety wooden staircase up to my room on the top floor.

When I woke next morning I was almost sorry the fire had not taken place, for I had planned out my escape beautifully. My sheets, torn in half, twisted and knotted together and tied to the leg of the bedstead, would have made a rope, not long enough to get me to tho ground, but long enough to swing me to the roof of the lower wing of the house, from whence I would have been able to climb down into the garden. Prevention is Better Than Cure. That same night there was a big firs in an hotel in London.from which people were only rescued with great difficulty. Indeed, one woman was suffocated, to death.

The T»re was caused by a silly-ass smoker throwing away hie cigarette down the well of the lift. There it set fire to a lot of rubbish at the bottom; flames and sparks were blown by the draught up the well, which set fire to tho different floors above and cut off the escape of the inmates.

Just ,by this one tiny act of carelessness a woman was killed, a lot of people placed in greatest danger, and a huge amount of property destroyed.

I am glad that in that very same week also there was a case of fire in which a Scout figured—and one who was not a silly ass.

This Scout was quietly going to bed, when he heard cries of "Fire!" in the street. So he ran outside to see if he could be of any help. He found a neighbouring house on fire, with smoke coming out of the upper windows.

He did not stop to stare and join the crowd of people who looked on. He ran straight into the hou3e and up the stairs into the turning room and began to beat out the flames. Then, with the help of others who joined him, he poured buckets of water on the burning embers until the fire was got under. He had done aIL this at very considerable risk to himself of being suffocated or burnt, and he was awarded our Silver Cross for gallantry. That comes of being prepared. He had learned beforehand what was the right thing to do, and then, when suddenly the chance came, he had kept his head and had done it. Be Prepared.

Years ago, long before the Scouts were started, I taught the soldiers in my regiment hßw to do the fireman's lift. I told them that if they wanted to rescue a comrade under fire and to win the Victoria Cross, two things were necessary. In the first place, they must have great pluck, and in the second place they must know how to lift and carry an insensible man, because it was no use to run out under a hail of, bullets and then not know how to carry your man in. So they set to work in peace time to learn how to do it in action.

For the same reason Scouts learn the fireman's lift, ready for the time when they may want to carry an. insensible man. But there is one thing that I. would suggest, and that is that instead of practising with another Scout it is much better to practise with a stuffed dummy, weighted so as to be as heavy as a man. You will find a big difference, because, whether he means to or not, the live boy cannot help assisting you a little bit to raise him; the dummy, on the other hand, behaves like.an insensible person and does nothing; he leaves it all to you.