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Show FIRE PREVENTION Beverly Clayi (1st Place Winner in High School) Fire! The cry sweeps the nation in a maddening shriek accompanied accompani-ed by tragedy and pathos. The breathtaking toll of lives lost, and the pitiable ones who are left with serious injuries should toach a well learned lesson to our people. Millions in property is destroyed by unnecessary fire. Fires interfere inter-fere with business and cause unemployment un-employment and suffering. President Presi-dent Woodrow Wilson said that fires are a public, menace as well as a private misfortune. Why should this go on? We must stop It! There is no reason why the citizens of our country should not take drastic dras-tic measures toward the preven ts In doing our part to conquer man's most terrifying enemy. The demon carelessness is Fire's best friend, and they tread hand in hand to bring on destruction. In the following fol-lowing list will be most of the things we should, or should not do in preventing fires. Do not use combustible cleansers indoors. Do not bring cleaned objects ob-jects indoors before fumes have thoroughly evaporated. Extinguish the last spark of your cigar or cigarette. ci-garette. Do not let dry waste or oily rags accumulate in some out of the way corner of your house. Do not leav electric Irons or other oth-er electrical appliances on when not in use. Do not leave drafts of stoves and furnaces on too long. Build your rubbish bonfire where there Is no danger of spreading, tion of fire. We must consider the possibility that next year our life, or the life of a dear one may be numbered among the annual average of fifteen fif-teen thousand casualties by fire. Also consider that our property may be listed in next year's toll. Are we going to do anything about it? Therfe are so many things we can do! Science has contributed no end of equipment both for fighting and preventing fires. We should gladly take advantage of the numerous num-erous agencies that have been developed de-veloped for our protection. The two principle causes of fire are carelessness and defective building build-ing and wiring. Both of these may be overcome if our citizens have the spirit to do so. Modern building build-ing materials and methods of construction, con-struction, modern heating systems, fire extinguishers, warehouses, safety safe-ty deposit vaults and professional garment cleaners, all offer help for and watch it carefully. Have your electric wiring inspected regularly and repaired if necessary. Do not leave paper and kindling too close to furnaces or stoves. Make sure your match Is out before throwing it away. Never put hot ashes in combustible containers. Keep your heating system and chimney clean and in perfect working order. Keep children away from all fire and put matches beyond their reach. Extinguish camp fires completely. Never leave rubbish to accumulate in yards, attics, cellars and alleys. Never use combustible fluids to ! start a fire. Be especially careful of these fluids, for one quart of gasoline is equal to eighty-two and one-half pounds of dynamite in explosive ex-plosive force. Fires eost the United States an annual average of one billion, one hundred and twelve million dollars. In nineteen thirty-five, the fire damage alone, amounted to two million, eight hundred fifty-six thousand, eight hundred and thirty-five thirty-five dollars, not including the cost of equipment for the firemen, extra water supply, etc. Of this amount, nearly one hundred eighteen million mil-lion dollars were lost in fire by unknown un-known causes which were believed to have been largely preventable. So, we see that we have the ability abili-ty to control if we really want to. Let every citizen of our nation have "Safety" as a motto, "Carefulness" "Care-fulness" as a password, and "Fewer "Few-er Fires" as an aim. It is our duty to do everything in our power to lessen the tragic waste and destruction destruc-tion by fire. We owe it to ourselves, our-selves, our families, and our neighbors. |