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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1977)
4 Page 10 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER Fire code enforcement often weak University Flower Shop Announces Their Grand Opening & Christmas Open House! rdav Friday - Saturday - Sunday Come by & get acquainted, see our beautiful Christmas decorations. Hall mark cards & gifts, and enjoy our re freshments. Ribbon-cutting ceremony 10 a Fridav Open House All day Friday-Saturday 1-6 p.m. Sunday v-'S -Editor’s note: This is the last in a series concerning fire protection in Bryan-Callege Station. By DAVID TEWES The rapid increase in the number of businesses in College Station in recent years has made proper enforcement of the fire code affect ing all business establishments nearly impossible. But injuries and deaths from business fires are few. There have been two deaths and 13 injuries since July 1973. Fire Marshal Harry Davis said re cently that lack of manpower is one reason the code isn’t properly enforced. Davis and one inspector, Ron Garrison, are responsible for seeing that nearly 400 businesses adhere to. the code. Davis said he doesn’t expect to get more help for at least a year. A city ordinance says all business places will be inspected monthly for code violations. Davis said, “There is just no way we can get around to all of them” He said the ordinance is old and needs updating. Even with three men, all the businesses couldn’t be inspected monthly, Davis added. Businesses with the greatest po tential for fire-caused deaths are in spected more often. These are es tablishments which can hold large numbers of people, such as bars and restaurants. Charles Ellison Western Wear in Franklin Open 8:30-6:00 Mon.-Sat. Hundreds of shirts, jeans and boots Men’s Wrangler “No Fault” Denim Jeans $10.75 ($8.99 With TAMU Student I.D. Dec. 1-Dec. 10) Men’s Levi Denim Flare Jeans $10.99 Men’s Levi Denim Flare Jeans $10.99 Lady Wrangler “Boy-O-Boy” Jeans $13.99 Tony Lama Boots (nat. cow) $39.95 Wrangler Kid Jeans (sizes 1-7) $6.50 Levi Big Bell $12.99 Goose Down and Leather Boots Resistol Hats (hand shaped) OPEN EACH FRIDAY NIGHT UNTIL 9 ’TIL CHRISTMAS Hear this inspirational lecture Honesty-- the Power of its Deeper Dimension Given by David Rennie, C.S.B. Member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship on thursday, Dec. 1 7:30 P.M. rm. 145, M.S.C. Sponsored by the Christian Science Organization All are welcome! When you go on active duty, your banking requirements will change dramatically. You’re going to move around the world. Your need for credit and for cash will be quite different from your classmates who return to their hometown to work and live. And the penalties for record keeping er rors are more severe for military officers than most (if not all) other professions. The World-Wide Department of the Bank of A&M was conceived to meet the needs of A&M officers on active duty. The department is staffed by Aggies with first hand experience of TDY, overseas movement, car financing in a foreign city, check-cashing problems at a military installation, allotments, telephone transfers, etc. The World-Wide program includes all the features of the so-called “military banks’’: direct paycheck deposit, telephone loan service, write your own loan program, overseas car financ ing, automatic transfers from checking to savings (and visa versa), credit cards, overdraft protection . . . plus personal service by senior bank officers with career military experience and Aggie know-how. Visit the Bank of A&M today (or some day of convenience) before your commissioning date to learn how the Bank of A&M’s World-Wide Department can be of service to you. The Bank of A&M member/fdic 111 University Drive/Coilege Station/846-5721 Col. Robert W. Elkins ’51 (USAF-Ret.)/Lt. Col. Glynn P. Jones ’43 (USAF-Ret.) Some inspections are made dur ing peak hours and without notice. Others are made when the business is closed. “We are looking for any hazard — anything that can start a fire, ’ Davis said. “You let some things slip by you. You just can’t see everything. ’ Not having enough fire extin guishers is the most common viola tion. Keeping exits unobstructed is the most serious need, Davis said. If minor violations aren’t cor rected after two warnings, the owner is given a citation. The fines range from $10 to $200. A citation can be given every day the violation isn t corrected. Davis said the judge is usually lenient on fixst offenders. A major violation must be cor rected immediately or a citation is written. If a major violation isn’t corrected, fire officials themselves can correct it. “Naturally we try to use the cita tion as little as possible,” Davis said. “We don’t do it unless our backs are against the wall. Four citations have been written this year — all to the same owner who finally sold the business. Davis said that he is not allowed to release the name of the business. The hardest part of the code to enforce is limiting the number of people allowed in a place of busi ness. “There’s no way we can take a head count,” Davis said. “The main thing is that exits be clear so people can get out in a panic situation. He (the owner) can’t ride herd on all these people. Fire department officials checked all businesses here earlier this year to determine crowd limits. Davis said the owners were notified of their maximum capacities, which they are required to post for the public. In a recent weekend survey of six businesses during peak hours no capacities were posted. Some own ers said they didn’t even know their crowd limits. Don Anz, co-owner of the Dixie Chicken and Farkelberry’s said he was given a capacity for both build ings earlier this year. Neither was posted, he said. When the capacity for the Dixie Chicken was raised this summer, Anz said he wasn’t given a specific capacity by the fire marshal. But he said if the crowd limit is going to be enforced, it should be done fairly. “If we re going to count the number of people, we’d like the First Baptist Church to count them, he said. “The church is just as likely to have a fire. “I think the fire department is doing the best they can, Anz said. “I don’t think they are lax at all.” No special precautions are taken at the Dixie Chicken and Farkelber ry’s to ensure that exits stay clear. “With any club, it’s impossible to keep the exits clear,” Anz said. Searcy Bond, owner of Dead Solid Perfect, said he hasn’t been given a capacity to post, either. He said that since opening in February 1976, the building has been in spected twice. is UT'i He said the inspector was it. terested in the number of fire exl guishers and the condition of l|, cooking equipment. Bond said he tries to control number of people in his buildia[ turning them away when itgelsln crowded. The College Station Pizza Ii doesn’t have its capacity postedanj Estes Marshall, owner of the taurant wasn’t sure of his building] capacity. “That’s none of their damn 1», ness, he said. “I don t ever tun them away. Even iftheyaresl up in the street, I don’t turntlta away.” When asked if he follows anyadt regulations he said, “I trytolef) from burning the building down It couldn’t be determined ifan| business here was overcrowdedh cause Davis refused to releaseth crowd limitation figures ontli businesses. To protect the city and even, thing. I ’d rather not get into if Davis said. He said releasing the capacife wordd damage the relationship It- tween the fire department and Ik businessmen. “We’ve got a good with the business people, said. “We have to see both sida We have to be diplomatic, hut «i have to get the point across 111, psychol igh ; bothTe Univers Birch, c sonal C< lyn Hal s 1 Service: Hospital personnel to gatlit for medical equipment cours Hospital personnel will gather at Texas A&M University next week for a course on selection and safe Shed swine light on vwin* future After college, what will I do? That’s a question a lot of young people ask themselves these days. But a two-year Air Force ROTC scholarship can help provide the answers. Succes sful completion of the program gets you an Air Force commis sion along with an excellent starting salary, a challenging job, promotion opportunities, and a secure future with a modern Air Force. If you have two academic years remaining, find out today about the two- year Air Force ROTC Scholarship Program. It's a great way to serve your country and a great way to help pay for your college education. Airfttrcc KOTC Gntewav a Great Way of Life operation of medical equipment The Dec. 9-10 meeting, sponsored by Scott and WhiteHt pital at Temple and Texas All Colleges of Medicine and Enginee ing, will provide participants ml practical knowledge of technkn* for medical instrumentation, sj Dr. William Hyman, co-directa “The course will additionallygi knowledge of legal liabilities sociated with the use of medial vices, as well as mechaniol environmental, radiological ii electrical safety, he said “Increasingly widespread use advanced equipment offers challenges to hospital personnel chiding the understanding strumentation methods, correct)! eration and calibration, avoidamt hazards and preparation of then) specifications for new purcl® Hyman said. The course will be held in Rue Tower. Certification for the class wil given by Scott and White will credit hours counting toward physician’s recognition award oil American Medical Association. ARTS and CRAFTS FAIR Dec. 1 - Dec. 2 e Go Depr Hatfn dents cc pressed Their s< cem is i Their tl relation: fourth _ grades.’ Simih are cone sion, lor friends : Birch sa “In ci problem cur,” B: mon the the pare going fri as a chil as an ad “Anot ing a p< student him in and boyi ships,” 1 The s importa decision demand tain gra in four themse conscioi tin Aggie similar < lese pi and UT individi counsel] availabh versifies counsel* faculty r one-tirn- AtTe is on an under t Birch sa “Over olve pi fiends l compati ported. The c >ng and dents, have to use the “W e normal Closed for Moving Admissions & Records Dec. 1 & 2 Will reopen Dec. 3, 1977 in Heaton Hall (old Exchange Store) on Ross Street llllllllllllllllllllllllllll TEXAS A&M NOW OFFERS THE B.A. IN THEATER ARTS A full range theater program in a traditional liberal arts setting WRITE: R.W. WENCK, DIRECTOR THEATER ARTS, DEPT. OF ENGLISH TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 77843 or CALL 845-2621 OR VISIT ROOM 308 BIZZELL