FIRE LOSSES

Evening Post, Issue 60, 11 March 1936, Page 12

FIRE LOSSES

INCREASE APPARENT

PREVENTION WEEK SOON

MINISTER'S INTENTION

Fire Prevention Week is to be held from March 30 to April 4, according to a circular letter that the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) has forwarded to (ire boards throughout the Dominion.

The Minister, in emphasising the educational value of this effort, referred to the. satisfactory results of previous Fire Prevention Weeks, following their inauguration in 1931., "The fire losses in New Zealand," he states, "have dropped to. less than one-half —from £1,292,904 in 1931 to £644,781 in 1933, and to £566,112 in 1934. The figures for 1935 are not yet available, but the indications are, however, that the losses are increasing. This is due to some extent to the increase in property value, but is nevertheless disquieting and emphasises the desirability of continuing educational work in connection with fire prevention. The question of fire prevention must be brought regularly before the public in order that the full advantage of such work may be obtained. Fire Prevention Week for 1936 will therefore be held from March 30 to April 4.

"The proposed organisation has been drawn up with a view to limiting to a minimum the expenditure necessary, and, so far as local authorities are concerned, the action desired is mainly the concentration into Fire Prevention Week of some of the inspection and refuse collection work which would otherwise be distributed over a longer period. The proposals for local authority action are:— "It is desired that an inspection of business premises for fire hazards be made by municipal inspectors, and, if necessary arrangements can be made, by fire brigade officers as well. A PROLIFIC SOURCE. "The experience of lire brigade officers is that collections of rubbish are a very prolific source of fire, and, even when not the actual cause, help to spread it. A 'clean-up' campaign is therefore an essential part of any fire prevention effort. It is not considered that this should necessarily take the form of a house-to-house collection, but that, the local authorities should undertake to collect rubbish where accumulations are noted during inspections or notified by the occupier. This will simply concentrate to some extent the ordinary refuse collection activity. Public health authorities are unanimous in the opinion that collections of rubbish form a serious breeding-ground for disease, and the 'clean-up' programme suggested will therefore have a valuable effect from the health standpoint as well. "The fire prevention movement is mainly educational in character, and every effort should be made to obtain the maximum publicity, both regarding the general fire waste position and the effect of fire prevention in saving, to the community, and also the value of the 'clean-up' programme in the interests of public health. "The decision to continue holding Fire Prevention Week has to a great extent been made on the representations of the fire: brigades, and the United Fire Brigades' Association has requested all the brigades to give additional interest and publicity to the Fire Prevention Week by holding special demonstrations of their work during the week, and in the larger towns for the fire stations to be open to the public .in the evening, with firemen on duty to show the working of the firealarms and apparatus. SPECIAL LESSONS. "Arrangements have been made for special lessons on fire prevention to be I given in the schools, and also for talks to be given from the principal radio broadcasting stations. I have also requested that all fire boards should cooperate with the local authority or local authorities in their districts, and the United Fire Brigades' Association has arranged for members of its brigades to distribute posters and other publicity matter.

"The question of fire prevention is a matter of local as well as national importance, and I trust that your council or board, will be able to arrange to give all the help possible to the movement."

■ The Minister also mentions that the United Fire Brigades' Association is co-operating fully in this work and has circularised all brigades suggesting that: (1) Special demonstrations should be given by the brigade during the week; (2) wherever possible fireprevention lessons should be given in the schools by the brigade officers; (3) where the local authorities or fire boards are prepared to provide the small finance necessary, a parade should be made through the town with the engine decorated with suitable fire prevention slogans.