XN000022-1976-09-07 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1976

MORE THAN 600 KITCHEN FIRES LAST YEAR

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HUNDREDS OF FIRES INVOLVING KEROSENE OR COOKING STOVES OCCUR EACH YEAR RESULTING, IN SOME CASES, IN INJURY OR EVEN DEATH.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, THERE WERE OVER 600 COOKING FIRES IN 1975 IN WHICH THREE PEOPLE DIED AND 91 OTHERS WERE INJURED.

FROM ENQUIRIES MADE BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, IT HAS BECOME APPARENT THAT MANY HOUSEWIVES WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF SUCH FIRES JUST DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD DO IN THE EVENT OF FIRE.

MANY PANICKED - WHICH IS AN UNDERSTANDABLE REACTION ONLY MADE THE SITUATION EVEN WORSE.

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AND THIS

A FIRE SERVICES SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD ALL KNOW PRECISELY WHAT ACTION TO TAKE IN CASE A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE HOME.

THERE ARE A FEW SIMPLE THINGS TO REMEMBER

* FIRST. DO NOT PANIC. ONE SHOULD BEAR IN MIND THAT

ANYTHING DONE IN PANIC WOULD NOT IMPROVE THE SITUATION AND COULD VERY WELL MAKE IT MUCH WORSE.

* NEXT, THE ALARM MUST BE RAISED SO THAT EVERYONE IN YOUR HOME, AS WELL AS YOUR NEIGHBOURS, ARE ALERTED, STAY TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERYBODY.

*

THEN CALL THE FIRE SERVICES BY DIALLING 999 OR TELEPHONE YOUR NEAREST FIRE STATION, IF YOU KNOW THE TELEPHONE NUMBER. SPEAK CLEARLY SO THAT YOU CAN BE PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD. ANY DELAY IN THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRE SERVICES INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE YOUR HOME WILL SUFFER.

* ELIMINATE ALL DRAUGHTS BY CLOSING DOORS AND WINDOWS. THIS

WILL CUT OFF THE SUPPLY OF OXYGEN ON WHICH FIRE FEEDS AND WILL PREVENT IT FROM SPREADING. HOWEVER, WHILE TAKING THIS ACTION, YOU SHOULD HAVE AT THE BACK OF YOUR MIND AN ESCAPE ROUTE IN THE EVENT THE FIRE GETS OUT OF CONTROL.

+ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS,+ THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED, +NEVER ASSUME THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS CALLED THE FIRE SERVICES.

+THIS COULD RESULT IN NOBODY CALLING US, AT LEAST NOT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE,+ HE ADDED.

UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE CORRECT THING TO DO, AS SOON AS YOU NOTICE A FIRE, IS DIAL 999 IMMEDIATELY.

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