made possible the erection of this splendid new home of the Crisfield
Fire Department.

The construction of the building is surely one of the most important
developments in the 80-year-old history of this great organization. The
structure stands as a symbol of the determination of this Department to
serve Crisfield and the surrounding area by offering the citizens of the
community protection in their lives and properties.

I think all of you know that my experience as a fire fighter goes back
to early manhood, when I first joined this volunteer fire department. It
has been most gratifying to me to observe the progress that has been
made in fire prevention and fire protection, here in my hometown and
elsewhere in Maryland, since that time.

In both interest and achievement, Maryland ranks high among the
states in the measure of protection afforded citizens against the menace
of fires. Much of the credit for this good record must go to volunteer
organizations such as this Eastport Volunteer Fire Company, which for
three-quarters of a century has been engaged in the vital public function
of protecting the lives and properties of the residents of this community.

Our accomplishments in Maryland in this public service is the product
of the teamwork of professional and volunteer fire fighters, and our
City—this City of Crisfield—offers an outstanding example of this
collaborative effort. We have, as I have stated, achieved a notable
record here in Maryland, but to rest on our oars because of this achieve-
ment would be an unforgivable neglect of public responsibility. The
serious drain on the resources of the State from fire losses, to say nothing
of the tragic loss in lives, must ever remain of deep concern to all of us.

We hear and read much about traffic safety, which is as it should be
since traffic accidents continue to be the greatest single peril to the
security of our citizens. But it is regrettable, I think., that more emphasis
is not placed upon fire safety. It is a fact that the people in the fire
service stand virtually alone in promoting the effort to save lives and
property by preventing and fighting fires.

Scores of persons lose their lives each year in Maryland in fires, most
of which could—and of course should—be prevented. Hardly a day
passes that we do not read in our newspapers accounts of deaths by
fires. An incident of unspeakable horror occurred recently in Anne
Arundel County, when a family of nine was wiped out in a residential
fire. Heart-rending incidents such as this should impel us to work
harder at our task, with firm resolution that we will do a better job of
fire prevention and fire protection in the future.

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