-
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1977
1976
BUSIEST YEAR FOR FIREMEN
******
1976 WAS THE BUSIEST YEAR THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS EVER EXPERIENCED.
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY, THE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO 9,383 FIRE CALLS DURING THE YEAR, AN INCREASE OF 27 PER CENT OVER THE PRECEDING YEAR.
OF THE TOTAL, 2,454 WERE GRASS FIRES, 1,184 DOMESTIC FIRES, 484 VEHICLE FIRES AND 23 SHIP FIRES. THERE WERE 394 FIRES ASSOCIATED WITH FACTORIES AND 112 WITH FACTORIES IN DOMESTIC PREMISES.
FORTY-TWO PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF FIRE AND 587, INCLUDING 41 FIREMEN, WERE INJURED. IN ADDITION, MORE THAN 720 PEOPLE WERE RESCUED BY FIREMEN FROM FIRES AND OTHER CALAMITIES AND HUNDREDS MORE WERE LED TO SAFETY FROM POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
JANUARY WAS THE BUSIEST MONTH FOR FIREMEN WHEN 1,454 FIRES OF VARIOUS MAGNITUDE WERE DEALT WITH, FOLLOWED BY NOVEMBER WITH 1,068 FIRES.
THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE PATTERN OF CAUSES OF FIRES LAST YEAR. CARELESSNESS IN THE HANDLING OR DISPOSAL OF LIGHTED CIGARETTES, MATCHES AND JOSS-STICKS (3,433 CALLS)
· AND DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL UNITS (1,632 CALLS) ACCOUNTED FOR ALMOST 54 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL CAUSES.
OTHER COMMON CAUSES OF FIRES INCLUDED OVERTURNED
KEROSENE STOVES AND OIL LAMPS (344), CHILDREN PLAYING WITH MATCHES (311), UNATTENDED COOKING STOVES, HEATERS AND IRONS (246) AND LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (172).
THERE WERE 52 CASES OF SUSPECTED ARSON RESULTING IN
TEN DEATHS AND 30 PEOPLE BEING INJURED.
DURING THE YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO CALLED UPON TO DEAL WITH 3,574 SPECIAL SERVICE INCIDENTS IN WHICH 316 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 1,349 INJURED,
THESE INCLUDED BRIEF LIFT FAILURES, HANGING, LANDSLIDES, HOUSE COLLAPSES, DROWNING, MOUNTAIN RESCUE AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
13