Lessons in fire safety

October 4 starts National Fire Prevention Week. For the Cape Girardeau Fire Department this means a week full of fire drills, poster contests, and fire safety demonstrations.

While we spotlight the great message this brings to our community, it is important that we reflect on the tragic lessons that prompted change regarding fire safety. One I am reminded of occurred in 1911. A factory called the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in lower Manhattan had a fire tear through their building that caused 146 people to lose their lives. Their building had only one fire escape which collapsed during the evacuation due to poor maintenance. The exit doors were also found to swing inward or were locked. These three violations of the fire code cost a loss of life that could have been prevented. Fortunately modern fire and building codes prohibit these violations.

An often forgotten and unrecognized division of a fire department is the fire prevention bureau. In our department, we have a fire inspector who inspects buildings for fire safety violations and a fire marshal that enforces the fire and building codes. The fire marshal is also responsible for life safety plan reviews for buildings under construction to determine important things like occupancy loads and an adequate number of exits.

We as a city are fortunate to have these individuals as a part of our team to keep our community safe so that another tragedy like that which occurred at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company never occurs in Cape Girardeau.

RANDY MORRIS, deputy chief, Cape Girardeau Fire Department, Cape Girardeau