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Show STOP FIRES' SAVE LIVES! Help Your Fire Dept. Protect You Fire Prevention Week, October 4-10, should be extended to include the other fifty-one weeks in the year. Loss of human lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars result each year from carelessness careless-ness in preventing fires and lack of knowledge of proper procedure when a fire occurs. During 1958 six lives were lost from fire in Salt Lake City. Three Df these were while dozing on a bed or couch while smoking and this is repeatedly the greatest cause of fire fatalities. $697,049 of property loss occurred oc-curred in Salt Lake last year. Although this is an increase over recent years, three of the fires alone resulted in $288,217.56 loss or 41 of the total. Only 14 fires in 1958 resulted in over $10,000 damage but they accounted for . ITJo of the total. The largest fire ($153,762.26 loss) was caused by burglars using an acetylene torch to open a safe at Reed's Shopping Center. The fine efficiency of our local Fire Department is attested to in the fact that in all building fires in 1958 the blazes were confined to the area in which they were found upon arrival of the fire fighters. 1 12 MILE LADDER The Fire Dept.. last year, responded re-sponded to 2,856 alarms, and of the total 177 were false alarms. Of the total fires reported the largest larg-est number, 223, were caused by . children playing with matches. The 1958 Annual Report of the Fire Dept. gives 25,468 miles travelled by fire fighting equipment, equip-ment, 8,075 feet of ladders raised (over 1 12 miles), and 550,000 feet of hose laid. Although the fine abilities and efficiency of the Salt Lake Fire Dept. are generally recognized and they hold our fire losses to a minimum, the ultimate responsibility respon-sibility for fires is with the public. (continued on page 3) r 'A. (t tr " V . ri ... I . IV ' , ; J sK isr h- - - r? "1 SN2 ' 4 , ' , yA ' ' ' " -'' - A) i '. :M I J fit '"f'Ay?" A ,. ; I' ' cc ' p ?o . - 1 -v " :,- V J - - 1... , , I StaCf Photol to such men as Chief J. K. Piercey who after forty years of service and having come through the ranks to become chief has now resigned on a well-deserved pension. It was under his leadership that the Fire Dept. was developed to the high level it has now reached. His assistant chiefs, such as Al Thompson, now Chief, who has . had over 28 years experience, W. T. Smith with over "39 years of fire fighting, and D. E. White with over 34 years have all contributed con-tributed to the success of the Salt Lake City Fire Department. (continued from page 1) TRAINING PROGRAMS. The combat division of the Fire Dept. has developed continual programs pro-grams of training in all phases of fire fighting to help lessen the loss of life and property. These programs include, not only, the proper use' of all types of equipment equip-ment but drills which increase the speed of handling and the safety of the men's actions. 18,183 INSPECTIONS The Fire Protection Bureau is little known to. the public but plays a strong part in protection to the public. This Bureau along with the Combat Division made a total of 18,183 inspections in 1958 and undoubtedly were responsible res-ponsible in preventing hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses and perhaps a few lives. Although it is generally conceded con-ceded that the personnel of the Fire Dept. has been underpaid . the sincerity of effort in their ' jobs can be seen in the fact that only 3 members resigned last year. FINE LEADERSHIP The excellence of our Fire Department and its personnel can only be the results of their leaders and the city owes a" vote of thanks |