view raw text
] . , , . , , [ j . ; 5 Fire Set-Up Ready At Delaware Park Detection and Prevention System, Among Most Modern, Waiting Opening on May 29 WILMINGTON, Del., May 6.— Delaware Park, where thoroughbred racing returns on May 29 and continues through July 4, will have its most modern and thorough fire detection and prevention set-up — including a new alarm and control panel system, fire walls in the barns and other forces augmenting previous features — as revealed by president Donald P. Ross and general manager Bryan Field. This new announcement follows closely that whereby Delaware Park completed an extensive project to avoid fire by getting grooms out of the stables. Now comes the news of such actions as: 1 Segregation by segments in the barns — fire walls made of cement block have been constructed in each barn. The fire walls extend through the roof and will prevent fire from spreading to another segment on either side. A typical 60-stall barn has two fire walls to separate the stalls into three segments of 20 stalls each, 10 on a side. This also enables firemen to concentrate on and confine a blaze to a single, smaller area. All barns, small or large, have been segmented. Fire Drills Planned 2 A new automatic fire alarm system in the grandstand, connected by a direct line alarm to the nearby Newport Fire Department. In addition, fire departments of Nearby Elsmere, Marshallton and Christiana also are available if needed. A control panel automatically flashes a signal indicating the location from which the alarm was sounded. The alarm sounds when the special "protecto-wire," running through the stands, reaches a melting point at 140 degrees. This causes a short and sounds the alarm. 3 With the opening of the stable area on May 15, the tracks police and fire departments will swing into action and they will participate in several fire drills, or dry runs, prior to the meetings opening. Another is scheduled for a morning during the meeting. As in the past, Delaware Park will maintain such other protective forces as: A The police force. B The fire department. C A night watchman system whereby men, each covering 12 punch clock stations in the stable area, patrol their respective areas from nightfall to daylight, making hourly rounds. The tracks own fire department is extensive and modern: Jeep chemical wagon with portable water pump, a combination pumper and tank truck holding 2,000 gal-I Ions of water, two track sprinklers equipped with pumpers which can be used in emer-; gency. The three tank trucks hold a total of 6,000 gallons of water for immediate use and there are thousands of feet of hose. Also, there are strategically-placed fire hydrants and scores of portable hand fire extinguishers are attached to each barn. All tack and feed rooms are asbestos-lined. The earlier announcement by president Ross about no more sleeping in barns by anyone revealed that sufficient money has been spent on adidtional bunkhouses to get the stablemen into proper housing and leave the stables to the horses, that cigarette smoking and electrical appliances are the principal causes of fires in barns, that track police under the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau would enforce the rule breaking the old tradition of men "hitting the hay" along with the horses. -Trainers and owners may post watchmen, but such watchmen will not be permitted to sleep in stalls. These measures were designed in the interests of both horse and human. Bunkhouses are equipped with suitable facilities.
