The Needle In The Haystack: Fire Alarm

Series

Series Name: Living Tomorrow

Issue

Issue No.

237

Length of issue (in feet)

523

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

COI synopsis: When that first country maid lost the very first needle in the haystack on which she was sitting, neither she - nor the gallant country lad who rushed to her assistance - realised how difficult would be the task of finding it. Only slowly did they appreciate the enormity of the task before them... Today, the tracing of technological needles in the haystack is one of the major concerns of science. A fireman lies unconscious in a burning building; his life may depend on his colleagues finding him quickly. But how do you find one man in the middle of dense smoke and flame. The answer is a new alarm: silent when the fireman is on the move, it emits a loud, piercing tone - summoning help - if he is motionless for more than thirty seconds.

Keywords

Fires; Communications; Science and technology; Safety devices; Design

Written sources

COI Microfilm Roll 55 [BFI National Archive] Used for synopsis

COI Reference

MI 1458/237

Credits:

Cutter: Allen Bowry
Sponsor: Central Office of Information (COI)
Sponsor: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Cutter: Ian Lake
Cutter: Laurence Williamson

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name: British Film Institute (BFI)
Email: For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
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Fax: 020 7580 7503
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London W1T 1LN
Notes: The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).
Series held: View all series held by British Film Institute (BFI)

Record Stats