FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 226, 21 September 1906, Page 5

FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT.

urrsoDDCisosr of a mzzeos. In c week ox ten days , tiai« ih» equipment of tha Auckland City Fire Brigade will be strengthened by the inclusion of a motor reel. This reel, which i≤ to take the place of No. 1 horse reel, will have a chassez of the British "Ariel" make, with a motor developing 40 horse power, while the body is being constructed by Messrs Cousins and Atkins. When completed, it will be 14 feet in length, 5 feet 10 inches wide, and will stand about 3 feet 9 inches from the ground. Its capacity will be a small ladder and 1000 feet of hose, as No. 1 reel a-t present carries; but instead of taking only six men and a driver, it will take "ten, including the chaffeur, who, unlike the driver of a horse-drawn vehicle, will be available as soon as the reel reaches the 3eat of a fire. The total initial cost of this innovation for fire i ocmbating purposes in Auckland will be about £670. Although this sum is considerably in excess of the prime cost j of a horse." reel and outfit, it is eoDsidered by Superintendent Woolley that the difference in cost of upkeep will more than compensate for the difference in first cost, as a pair of horses, j which have to be renewed about every three years on an average at a cost of something like £ 60, require yearly ex- ' penditure of £70 for maintenance, j whereas the motor reel only eats when iit is actually working., and then at no I more expense than about 10/ for every JBO miles run. Apart from this, however, is the immense advantage of being able to get right away without fear of fraetiousnesa on the part of the steeds, and again, when the fire-plug is reached, of \ being able to pull up to within inches xl the mark, up-hill or down-hill —apparerily trifling factors, but very weighty to the fire battler. I A CHAT ABOUT THE FIRE FIEND. In the course of a chat with Superin- | tendent Wooliey this morning touching I this introduction and its value, the re- ■ i porter innocently remarked that it must Jbe of considerable value to get ten men !to the scene of a big fire, for instance. lat shortest possible notice; they could ido so much while the other men were on the way. "Oh! bless yon," said the superintendent to the uninstrncted pressman, "it lis not a matter of wnile the others J come. It just means getting them all j there. At present we have Nos. 1 and 2 ! reels, but as a matter of fact, tlere are ■ i only two men available for No. 2, be- ; sides the driver. This reel is supposed jto be a\-ailable for attacking work, say. iat the rear of a building; but two men 1 i are only a very few, you know. With ' i this new reel we shall have to dispense j vrith No. 2 until we get more men. Ix j will be much more valuable to have the ' j men on the spot than the extra reel, alJ though, of course, it means having IOOOft ' j less of hose on hand." In the event of a big flare, then, you , j are not overmanned ? —That is very true .I as regards the daytime. The permanent I staff consists of 18 men, two of whom , ! have to be at the Ponsonby station, two .I at the wharf, one each at the watch- ' house and fire-tower, and two at a time • ! are on leave. That leaves ten men avail- | able for fire-fighting, and of those two . I can be counted out, the two drivers. So 1 that, no matter what sort of fire breaks ; out up till ten o'clock at night, we have ; . only eight men to tackle it. Of course ; I the auxiliary staff of 18 additional men. ; ! who sleep at the station and are avail- • i able after ten at night, would roll up ■at a big blaze, but the first two • \ minutes often mean everything, and once i j a fire beats you at one point it practical•ly has you beaten entirely. However, , there is a bill before the House this ses , sion concerning these matters; but in ; thf? meantime expenses have to be kept i "'ithra bounds, you know. We could weil ' Jo with a larger permanent staff, especi- ■ ally among , these buildings we have here, ' and Mr Woolley smiled significantly. "because you never know when a bi<r ; J fire will come which to combat success- ■ : fully will require a strong team to be i • there quick. But this new reel will give i' U3 a big pull. Instead of all hands, a= i ; often happens, having to be put en • searching the burning; house for possible ' urmates. while the fire burns on at its 1 own sweet will, we shall be able to &i----1 vide forces, and have a cut in at the ' fire-Send from the first jump, instead of ' giving him a big handicap, life-aaving is the first and instant consideration," I said the superintendent earnestly; "'bat it goes very much against the British grain to be obliged to hang back from . i t!i e fight," he added with characteristic I i force. > —