Bower Hill Volunteer Fire Department is proud of our community's fire prevention and safety record. Since 1924, the department has been advising and assisting residents in the principles of fire prevention and safety.
The 1929 Fire Prevention Bulletin issued by the department in January of that year begins with:
"Fires in the home are easier to prevent than to extinguish."
That principle is still true today. Residential dwelling fires are almost always preventable. The major causes of residential fires are still careless or negligent use of matches or lighters, improper installation or maintenance of electrical appliances or heating and cooling devices, and negligence or carelessness with cooking materials.
In 1928, President Herbert Hoover said,
"Fire losses are in effect a tax on every man, woman, and child in the United States. This is one case where the taxpayers, entirely by their own efforts, can reduce the tax rate; and I hope we shall have no slackers in this campaign."
This, too, is still true. Homeowners Insurance rates are directly tied to the amount of money the insurer spends on reimbursing fire losses. Good fire prevention saves money as well as property, and of course most importantly, lives.
Deaths from residential fires can almost always be avoided by the simple act of having and maintaining working smoke detectors on every level of the dwelling. If the detector is battery operated, the batteries need to be changed twice a year. A good way to remember this is that whenever the time changes between Daylight Saving and Standard Times, it's time to change the smoke detector battery. Remember: "Change the clock; change the battery."
At our annual Open House, held during Fire Prevention Week every October, we provide demonstrations and instruction in fire prevention for children and adults in the Fire Safety House and on our station grounds.
We always have fire prevention information available. If you have any questions on fire prevention and safety or life and personal safety, stop by the fire station or call 412-221-3497. We can arrange to give fire prevention presentations to community groups as well, at the group's meeting place or our fire station.
If you have any questions on fire prevention stop by the fire station or call 412-221-3497.