FIRE SERVICE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 232, 30 September 1944, Page 6

FIRE SERVICE

GROWTH IN AUCKLAND

REVIEW BY SUPERINTENDENT

In one of the elegant offices of the new Central Fire Station at the top of Grey's Avenue, Superintendent W. L. Wilson, on whose shoulders rests the major part of the administration of the largest fire service in the Dominion, yesterday discussed a few of the highlights in the development of that service. There is no doubt as to his qualifications for doing so, for in November he completes 40 years of fire-fighting in this city.

Back in 1904, when Superintendent Wilson was a fireman, Auckland was no more than a lusty baby as cities go. Formed in 1865 as a volunteer brigade, the fire service came under City Council control and at the turn of the century comprised three stations—one in Pitt Street, one in Ponsonby Road and the other on the waterfront.

Those were the days when the shout of "Fire!" called for a headlong rush to the scene by horses and a cart equipped with modest fire-fighting appliances. And in those days, says Superintendent Wilson, news of a fire always meant great excitement.

The waterfront station was where the Ferry Building now stands. Equipment consisted of a hand reel, hose and two firemen. First Motor Appliance Through the years Auckland's fire service has kept pace with the growth of the city. In October, 1906, the first motor appliance—a small touring car converted into a fire tender—was purchased. For a young and ambitious fireman this was an opportunity to improve himself, and it was not long before W. L. Wilson was qualified as a driver. Actually he was the first to drive a fire-fighting motor appliance in the Dominion.

In 1906 the staff of the service comprised one superintendent, eight permanent men and one foreman. The staff had one day off in eight, and there was no extended leave.

In the following year the Fire Brigades Act was introduced, and, on July 1, the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board was established with seven members. In 1908 a second motor machine was added to the station, and this was followed the next year by a motor-driven pump. This pump had the largest • capacity in the world at the time. It delivered 800 gallons a minute at a pressure of 1201b.. In 1912 the 87ft electric ladder which is still used to-day was added.

Suburbs Amalgamate That year also saw the appointment of Mr. Wilson as foreman and then as deputy-superintendent. It also saw the start of the real development of the service. Parnell and Arch Hill amalgamated with the city. Then Grey Lynn followed suit. The Grey Lynn and Parnell stations were manned by a permanent staff, and the Remuera and Eden Terrace stations also joined the city. Districts which amalgamated with the city had been protected by volunteer brigades, and the amalgamation often meant a closing down, as was the case with Arch Hill. The installation of street fire alarms came in 1917, and they replaced the bell which formerly called members of the service from their homes. This year Mr. Wilson became acting-superintendent, and in 1918 superintendent on the retirement of Mr. C. A. Woolley, who had occupied his post for 17 years.

Next major development was the switch in 1920 from the Kirkby fire alarm system to the Duplex system, which is the one in use to-day. In 1921 an amalgamation of Point Chevalier took place. The following year Eden Terrace closed down and in 1923 the Western District station in Ponsonby Road was completed, stations in St. Mary's Road and Grey Lynn closing. Traffic fire alarms were inaugurated in the city. Tamaki and Orakei districts amalgamated with the city in 1928, and in 1929 the Avondale station was built, the Tamaki station following in 1930.

The Auckland Fire Board went out of existence in 1933, when the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board came into being. Districts absorbed by this move were Mount Eden, Mount Albert, Mount Roskill, Onehunga, One Tree Hill, Ellerslie and Mount Wellington. In 1934 a new station was built in Great South Road and manned by a permanent staff. New Station A move for a new central station began in 1937, and it culminated in the imposing building at the top of Grey's Avenue. From a room in this building, Superintendent Wilson can look back with understandable pride to the achievements of the service and his part in those achievements. He will not confess, however, to having any one outstanding impression of the period. Characteristically, nevertheless, he does say that the plant and equipment have kept pace with the times so that there are now 26 machines and 94 permanent men. He considers there should also be an auxiliary staff of 50, but these. actually number 14.

Mr. Wilson remembers many big fires, but none more so than the rest. There was the Strand Arcade fire in 1909 (£IOO,OOO loss), a fire in stables in Parnell in 1915 when 208 horses were burned to death, the Opera House fire in Wellesley Street and the Lunar Park fire on the waterfront in 1927, the windmill fire in 1931 when another major outbreak occurred in a Federal Street shoe factory at the same time, and, more recently, the Kauri Timber Company blaze.

As for a fireman's life, Mr. Wilson says: "Although changes for the better have taken place in the service as regards general conditions for the men, a fireman, on duty for 72 consecutive hours, is in a vastly-different position from other members of the community. His work is never finished and he can always be called upon even though he is on leave."