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Show 9 FIVE RULES REDUCE RURAL FIDE LOSS I '"""" ' I ; ' 1 4 - - . : .., ' v fa-'-..--::--;. . -: r . ' -" v' - ' ' ... - v - 8 This destructive farm fire might have been brought under control if a sufficient water supply had been near at hand. Many times firemen responding to an alarm can do nothing but watch homes and barns burn because water supplies are inadequate. TC FEW PRECAUTIONS taken during Fire Prevention Week, October 9 to 15, will help prevent minor farm fires from developing into "total losses," the National Board of Fire Underwriters says. Farm fires take 3,500 lives and destroy $100,000,000 in property each year. To prevent your farm or your neighbors' from becoming a fire statistic, the fire experts suggest these five steps to fire safety: 1. Learn how to call fire department. depart-ment. Be sure that you know which department will respond to alarm from your farm. Write instructions in-structions for calling department and post near phone. 2. Keep extinguishers hung in prominent places. Follow instruc tions regarding inspection and refilling. re-filling. Hang a card on each extinguisher ex-tinguisher listing types of fires on which it should be used. 3. Be sure water supply is sufficient. suf-ficient. 4. To help your neighbors, do not try to use phone after you hear fire whistle. Often the telephone operator has the job of contacting volunteers. If you are on a party line and someone is trying to report re-port a fire, hang up. 5. If you hear about a fire in your area, don't try to race the fire engine to the scene. Help out by filling all available milk cans with water, and then drive to the scene. The water can be used to fill the booster tanks of the fire trucks. At the fire, do not park on the road, near Dunamgs, or near any water supply source. In many areas, companies operating large oil or milk tank trucks cooperate in bringing water to fire scenes. Volunteer fire companies in some areas have organized women's auxiliaries aux-iliaries which help fire fighters by preparing refreshments and serving them in the fire area. In Lapeer, Mich., a number of milk cans are kept at the fire station sta-tion at all times, filled with water. After the fire truck responds to an alarm, the milk cans are loaded on a city truck, and driven to tha fire. This means an additional 200 to 300 gallons of water, readily available. A sprinkler truck carrying carry-ing 500 to 600 gallons is also used. |