EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS PLAN

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIV, Issue 6577, 17 October 1939, Page 3

EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS PLAN

POE AKIROA COUNTY AND

BOROUGH

i jganisati >n Arranged at Meeting

Duvauchelle

There was i large attendance at

K.vauchelle Hall on Saturday after-

njjn in r°sponse to the Akaroa

County Council's notice thv. an or-

ganisation Cui an emergency in the

e-.cnt of a natural disaster, such as

go earthquake, or caused by enemy

action, would be set up. Between fifty

anc sixty representatives of local

bodies, Worsens' Institutes, Womens

r>i< ision of lilt Farmers' Union, Far-

mers' Union and others were present,

Mr C. Stewart, Akaroa Courfy Clerk,

t, 'dered ai arology for Mr C. B

Thuekei', Akavra Ounty chairman,

W,io was stii 1 confined to his bed, and

stated lhat the Akaroa County

i uld do all i T its power to assist

in carrying out the perfecting of any

organisation which the meeting de-

cided upon. Mi H. F. Crow, Little

P\aloa, also forwarded an apology

end stated h" was prepared to assist

in any organisation set up, Apologies

w-re received from Mr and Mrs T

Mbsefield and Mr R. A. Mould. Mr E

Jiay was voted ithe chair

Reason lor Meeting

Mr Hay repoited that the County Council had received a latter from the Minister of Internal Affairs asking the council to set up an organisation in their district to become operative in the event of a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or fire or were two schemes, Mr Hay said. The through an attack by an enemy. There one scheme applied to the more thickly populated areas in cities and towns and the other to rural locatities. They were more interested in the latter and the County Council after discussing the matter at its last meeting had decided to call this meeting as they considered the district should be prepared in the event of the emergency arising. He walcomed those present and said the County Council had got in touch with the Defence Authorities but they were too busy to send a representative to attend the meeting.

I'lecaulionerv Scheme Outlined

Mr Hay then read the emergency precautions scheme formulated by a Dominion committee to cover earthquake disasters and hostiie action by gas and aeroplane. The scheme provided:

(a) A clear iuea of what to do in event of a serious calamity (b) A definite job to perform in order to minimize the confusion caused, in small country townships and their neighbourhood. This organisation provided: (1) The appointment of a controller, to direct operation, (2) The seieclion of an assembly point, where members of committee should assemble and various bands of woi'kers radiate out with specific duties to perform. The appointment of committees was necessary to provide immediate systematic relief. These committees would be: (a) Medical and Nursing; responsible for all medical arrangements including fn Ft aid and the evacuation of casulaities. It was suggested the t-choolhouse could be used as a dressing station and a temporary hospital. until the injured could be evacuate.d A medi-cal-officer a r d women with nursing experience should compose the committee.

(b) Fire, Lav and order, responsible for ccutrol of fire fighting, assistance of police, control of damaged areas, control of traffic.

(c) Transport, responsible for taking a census of all cars, lorries and trucks, control of all transport, distribution of transport, (d) Supply: responsible for control . and distribution of food, clothing and other necessities, (e) Accommodation: responsible for control and provision of temporary accommodation for homeless, arrangements for cooking, Evacuation of uninjured inhabitants if advisable.

The controller of a locality should make sure of patrols responsible for patrolling all streets or country roads, collecting injured, and sending them to dressing station; and for massen&er:-, for carrying ■ messages to and from the controller and committees on cycles or motor cycles. It was suggested at least four messengers were necessary for each committee and patrol. Mr Hay said in a thinly populated area he thought one committee could do all that was required.

Appointment of Controller

The chairman suggested one controller in each b«y seemed necessary. He suggested the road boards in Pigeon Bay and Le Bon's Bay could act as committees in each of these two bays as the members lived in those bays. The chairman could be the controllers.

Mr L. A. Morrison suggested a controller for the whole district.

Mr R. Bruce said the instructions suggested a controller for the whole district to whom reports could.be sent and from whom all instructions could be distributed.

Mr C. E. Kay considered the County Clerk, Mr C. Stewart, would be an ideal man to fill the position of controller for Banks Peninsula. He suggested also that committees should be set up in the various bays. He moved that Mr Stewart be appointed controller for the whole district and that committees be set up in each district.

Archdeacon Petrie suggested one controller and perhaps one man in each Bay instea'd of a committee. He said the Akaroa Borough Council had investigated the matter and would report to the Council later..

The chairman supported Mr Stewart's appointment as controller for Banks Peninsula, but not beyond the Akaroa County boundary. In reply to Mr C. J. Marshall he said he thought the Wairewa and Mt. Herbert Counties would have to have their own organisations.

Mr Stewart stated he was willing to accept the position of controller and it was considered that as he was in a key position, the appointment was a very satisfactory one. He was appointed to act for both Akaroa County and borough.

The Appointment of Committees

The meeting next considered the appointment of a committee in each bay and district.

Sir Bruce Stewart, chairman of the Pigeon Bay Road Board said his board was willing to do their part. They would welcome any suggestions from the committee.

Mr A. E. Williams said the Le Bons Bay Road Board would act for Le Bons Bay.

The Okains Bay Road Board was appointed the committee for Okains Bay.

The suggestion by Archdeacon Pctrie that the County Council should appoint the committees and the Borough Council should arrange for the Borough committee was not favoured and another suggestion that a single controller should be appointed in each district was considered inadvisable as it was pointed out that this man might be the first casuality.

Dr. Edginton suggested men with military experience should be appointed. Mrs F. C. Newton suggested appointing a convener in each district. It was decided the chairman of school committes in all districts be asked to convene meetings and inform the controller, Mr C. Stewart. In districts where there were no school committees the following were appointed to convene meetings and set up committees: — Robinsons Ba>—Mr Jos Hayward. Takamatua —Chair ma/, of Domain Board. Goughs Bay—Mr T. Masefield. Hickory—Mr H. J. Moore. Long Bay—Mr A. A. Narbey. Duvaucheile —Mr W. G. Vogan, .hairn.au of the Domain Board i.o icL \>ilh school committee. The chairman ?aid as soon as these committees nad met the organisation of the district could be completed. Evacuation From Christchurch Miss E. Le Licvre said it had been suggested people should be evacuated from Christchurch to Akaroa and Banks Peninsula and that Little River had offered to take 300 or 400 children. It was considered Banks Peninsula was very vulnerable.

The chairman said he considered it would be wrong to evacuate people from Christchurch to the Peninsula. It would be beiter to send people inland.

Other suggestion made that school teachers should act on committees as they had a knowledge of first aid, that the R.S.A. should be invited to help and that the Poi=t and Telegraph Department and Power Board should be asked to cooperate in the emergency precautions scheme. Akaroa Bor-mgh Precautions Mr R. Bruce said the .Akaroa Borough committee had met and would suggest to the Borough Council the use of trawlers for transport, the grocers in the town for supplies, Doctor, and hospital staff, teachers and clergy for medical services, Fire Brigade and police for law and order, Power Board d Borough foremen for protection of public utilities, Town clerk and local transmitters for publicity and town clerk and bank staff for records.

Action By Power Board

Mr C. E. Kay, chairman, reported that in response to the Department, the Power Board had taken steps to guard the electrical scheme at various points and their engineer would cooperate in the whole organisation. Hope it Will Never 1 be Needed The chairman said they could do nothing further in the meantime and he thanked who had attended the meeting. Hp said he hoped this organisation' would never be needed; and so far it had not been necessary in New Zealard; but other nations might become involved in the war and the operation of a protective scheme might easily be necessary.

A vote of thanks to Mr Hay was carried by acclamation. '