FIRE POLICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 75, 30 March 1939, Page 6

FIRE POLICE.

AUCKLAND CORPS' WORK. HELP TO CONTROL CROWDS. i Reports from Wellington that fire police assisted the firemen considerably by controlling the crowds, during last night's big outbreak, drew attention to the work done by members of the Auckland. Fire Police Corps, which has operated for about six years. Specially sworn in to assist the brigades at fires, the fire ]xi]ice assist the police and the traffic officers in controlling crowds. The Auckland corps comprises 33 men and, according to statements made to-day by Mr. W. L. Wilson, Metropolitan Fire Board superintendent, it has given valuable assistance at every major fire for some years past. "We seldom are troubled by the crowds," said Mr. Wilson, '"but sometimes people are hard' to keep back at early evening fires, which attract big crowds. We have always felt the good effect of the corps' work. It is« especially useful on occasions when the crowd tills a side street into which the brigade wishes to lead a hose. The fire police usually have the crowd out in double quick time. I can readily understand how useful they were found in Wellington." At the last big Auckland fire, when Goldie's timber mill was destroyed at Freeman's Bay, the fire police corps did valuable work in assisting the ordinary police. They also co-operated with the traffic department, which had installed a special loud speaker system, by helping to divert traffic from the scene.