FIRE PROTECTION

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16946, 22 September 1920, Page 7

FIRE PROTECTION

— PROPOSED BIG DISTRICTS. LOCAL COMMENT. Mr .1. Montgomery's proposal for the creation of big lire protection d'.stricta, as outlined in "Tho Press yester a>, was brought under the notice of representatives of local authorities and insurance companies yesterday, for the purpose of obtaining their opinions the; eon. Mr J. V. Bcanland, Deputy-Mayor of Chris triiurch, who lias always taken a keen interest in fire protection affairs, said his present opinion was exact y what it was when the W oolstcn Borough first proposed to create its own Boaid. He believed • then, and believed now, that what was wanted was a large firo district controlled by one Board, with a big central station and auxiliary stations in each of the surrounding districts. By that method an adequate force could when wanted be assembled at any particular po'nt, without the remainder of the combined district being left without protection. For example, should a big fire break out in W oo.ston, part of tho plant and personnel from, t he central eiiy station could be sent on demand, together with another engine and men from each of tSic outlying stations. By that method a big fire-fight-ing force would be in attendance at the Woolaton fire, while at the same time the central and suburban stations would still have a reserve plant and personnel to deal with a simultaneous outbreak elsewhere. The Woolston people, however, would not agree to any proposition of the sort, and established their own Board and Brigade, with the result that they were paying a gocd deal moro for fire protection than they would have been liab!c for under a combined scheme, and even then they had to stand on their own with a limited plant and staff, with no assistance irotn tho . city brigade. "The principle that 1 have outlined, " added Mr Bern land, "is I think, the one we should follow; simply an extension of the present scheme to embrace all tho suburbs, the city and suburban districts to pay their quota for the upkeep of the combined brigades, and the insurance companies to do likewise. At present cach party pays an identical amount, and a microscopic subsidy is received from the Government, who nominate ono member of the Firo Board." In the matter of Mr Montgomery's i proposal to finance tho big board by allowing the insurance companies to charge a percentage on premiums, Air Beanland was doubtful. "If the whole

- funds required are to be raised in that r way," ho said, "then t)he companies would hardly be likely to agreo to a measure of local control of the districts 3 and brigades, and practically tho wholo * of fire protection affairs would be placed ' in the hands of the companies. How - tho rates would be affected I cannot; say. Even, if a measure of local control were adopted, the bulk of tho power would be with tlho companies, seeing that they were to be responsible for the whole of the financo. There is also tho point relating to uninsured properties. They would bo paying no- . thing under the proposed scheme of Mr 1 Montgomery's. Would they get protection from t'he t brigades supported by insurance premiums? Would a man who ■ objected to high premiums and did not insure be deprived of protection?" "I object strongly," added Mr Beanland, "to Mr Montgomery's, proposal i that the Fire Brigade staffs should, when there aro no fires on, bo employed at other work. Once you adopt that policy you destroy immediately the efficiency of tho brigades.- Piro brigade work is emergency work, and nothing should be allowed to interfere, even remotely, with the efficiency of a brigade when a call comes. After all, the members of a fire brigade aro paid nothing out of the way in the matter of wages, and they aro always there when wanted. That is their job: to be there wihen wanted." Finally, Mr Beanland pointed out that no fixing of a local area would meet the_ difficulty that arose in connexion with the Woolston fire. "You yiay make the radius seven miles, as Mr : Montgomery proposes," ho said, "or ten or twenty miles, and yet thero will bo somebody just beyond the line who will consider tihat he has a right to de- ■ mand protection in tho event of a firo. If you say, 'Thus far and no further,' then it is quite immaterial so far as the principle is concerned what tho length of the radius line is. You might just as well have a small, compact district as a large, rambling one. For that reason I believe the Ohristchurch Fire Board have adopted a sound policy in confining their operations to their own district, which has to pay for tho upkeep of the brigades. As I said before, I would like to see a larger dis- ; trict created, to embraco the suburbs, , but even with that larger district the same principle of limitation will have : to be followed. The onlv way fo get over that difficulty that I can'see is to j adopt the Australian method of creating j a fire district to embraco the whole State, with one board in control, and fire stations and brigades established all j over the country, ready to deal with ' small fires independently, or with big . outbreaks by combined effort. Only by the adoption of such a method can you socure full protection to everybody. Once you draw a line, there is always somebody on the other side of it." WOOLSTON VIEWPOINT. Mr C. Hill, Mnyor of Woolston, when ' seen by a ''Press" representative, spoke 1 for both the Woolston Borough C'oun- 1 cil and tho Woolston Fire Board, of ' which body, he is also chairman. Mr , Hill has a practical knowledge of firework, having been a. fireman in Mel- ] bourne in tuc days of tho old volunteer , system. Commenting on Mr Mont- ] goniery's proposal, Mr Hill said that tho main principlo of tho idea, that of a fire zone, was all right, but it would never work under tho present system. ( It might be all right under a kind of metropolitan board of works, such as _ was suggested here some time ago. Tho ' metropolitan system in Melbourne was < conducted somewhat on the lines of, ] the zone idea, as proposed by Mr Mont- j gomery, but somo of the details in Mr j Montgomery's scheme would not work. For instance, tho whole plant could not .

j be controlled from ono central station, j. It was absolutely necessary to have . I sub-stations, as was the ease in Mel- * i bourne. Again, tho proposal that em- v | ployment might be found for some of | j the firemen at which they could stop • t | work at a moment's notice in ease of an j j outbreak, would never succeed. After the big Bijou Theatre fire in. Melhourne, before which the fire-lighters were vcl- ' unteers, under the insurance brigade; — . or at least supposed to be under its | direction —the metropolitan schema was\ . introduced, some of the firemen being. , permanent men, and some auxiliaries, j but it was soon found that the auxil-' iaries scheme was an impossible one. '< Such an idea, said Mr Hill, might work ' 5 all right in tho suburbs, but it would 1 never do for a city like Christchurch.. 8 The scheme, for tho upkeep of the big' brigade, as proposed by Mr Mont- Jgomery, also would not work, according •• to Mr Hill's idea.. It would mean, ho « said, that the insurance companies did V all the paying and receive little. From 1 the local bodies' point of view it would be, no doubt, acceptable, but the com- c panics would probably think differently. }'■ Under the Melbourne scheme, the com- 6 panies and the local bodies all paid a P percentage fif the cost. In conclusion, P Mr Hill reiterated that tho principle L 1 of the scheme was all right, but tho f' details were not, though he considered ci the seven-mile zone would be quite ti sufficient for 'a town like Christchurch. d In Melbourne the radius was aJbout 15 ci miles. a; CE. A? WILLIAMS INTERVIEWED. Cr. A. Williams, deputy-chairman of tl tho Christchurch Fire Board, said that <y

what his Board desired was an extension of the present system to bring in the suburbs. "YV hen the proposals were made to the suburban councils and others the intention of the City Fire .Board was to establish a series of sub-stations which, with the central station,_ would act in co-operation to extinguish any fire in the enlarged area. A new sub-station was to bo bin It in the Spreydon-lticcarton district, another at North Linwood, anI other at the extreme south-eastern corner of the city, while the St. Albans | station was to be enlarged to serve | l'apanui and Feudal ton. Those proi posals, however, all came to nothing, j As far as Mr Montgomery's proopsal ' was concerned, he heartily approved of , the principle of extending the area to receive fire protection, but he believed I that the system of control and finance should remain as at present. '"If the insurance companies are to linance the service," he said, "then they will nfi- ! turally want the whole of the control, ! and that-. I am afraid, would lead to the creation of an insurance-ring, which j would not operate to the advantage of j the ratepayers. At present, while each

' makes equal contributions, the C'ity Council and the insurance companies, tho Council exorcises some measure of control over the premiums chargeable, and always insists on a fair rate being maintained._ With no such | control, or only a. nominal control, the ! rates would bo subject to no check. 1 ! The Government would have to step in and fix rates if the matter of lire pro- ] tce.tion is to be controlled by the eoini panics, and, moreover, it would lie nei cessarv to have compulsory insurorder that there may be no discrimination against uninsured premises. Some big concerns carry their* own in- ; suranee, and would lose the benefit of ! any lire protection service financed en- • ti?cly by tho companies through premiums." i Cr. Williams did not agree with tho ! proposition that the members of tho Firo Brigades should be put on to other jobs whilo standing by, or carrying out only routine duty. "Such "a i scheme," he said, "would seriously impair the efficiency of the Brigade. In ; a big fire* orery second counts, and I there should be nothing to hamper; i rapid action on the part of the per-! I sonnel of the Brigade." llegarding tho Australian scheme of State Brigades, he said he did not think such a plan could be carried out in New Zealand. A service on those lines would be an elaborate and costly affair, and there was not tho population in this country to warrant it. Such a scheme, of course, would got over thoj difficulty of attending fires over the I

boundary, but that difficulty could reasonably be met by tho creation of largo fire districts in the centres of population. "Tho best solution of all," ho said, "so far as this district is concerned, is for the suburbs to come into 'Greater Christchurch. Then they will cat all tho fire protection they want. Failing that, let them join in with the city area for fire protection purposes only. At tho same time no district is entitled to protection that it does not pay for, and I certainly hold that tho City Brigade should not be called ,on for firo service outside the city area." INSURANCE MANAGER'S VIEWS. In the course of an interview with a ' Press" reporter, the manager of tho local branch of an insurance company said that, looking at Mr Montgomery's suggestions broadly, he saw a lot to recommend in them. Ot present, ho said, within a seven miles radius of Cathedral square, there were 'districts which had no protection whatever, such liiccarton, Fendalton, and Papanui. On tho other band, there was the borough of Woolston, which had a Fire Brigade of its own, under the control of a Fire Board, tho expense of running which was borne by the ratepayeis ana insurance companies, with a small subsidy by tho Government. The Brigade, however, was anything but satisfactory, and was unable to perform its functions <is efficiently as would be the case if the

City Fire Brigade was protecting the district in question. A few years ago, Do went on, there was a number of serious fires in Fendalton, in consequence of which a meeting of residents was called to discuss the question of how best to protept the district. The meeting was well attended, and among those present wero representatives of the Waimairi County Council. It was decided to approach_-the Christchurch Fire Board with a view to ascertaining ; what the Board Would charge to givo the necessary protection. The Board offered to include the district in the protected area ait an anuual charge of £400, which figure, however, was turned down by the Waimairi Council, on tho grounds of its being too high. When making tho offer, the Board announced its intention of increasing the plant at tho St Albans substation, which would have been to the advantage of the proposed new protected area. The local body, in declining the offer, had the idea in mind of setting up a fire plant oi its own at an approximate cost of £1100 Nothing had yet boen done, however, in the direction of procuring the plant, the cost of which to-day would be considerably higher than the sum mentioned, and the district was still unprotected. All this went to show how absurd the present system of lire protection about Christchurch was, and how necessary it was for reforms to be made. He thought the idea of a Firo Board for the control of an area of a seven mile radius was an excellent one, such a Board to have fhe right to lew rates, and to be quite independent of local bodies, so as to be able to carry out its functions in a manner s/milai to that of the Christchurch Tramway Board.. At present the perconnel of the Christchurch Fire Board consisted of three representatives each from the City Council and insurance companies, and one appointed by tho Government. He would like to see the boundaries of such%a Board established, so as to include any district within the radius mentioned that could reasonably be termed suburban. OTHER COMMENTS. Mr F. Burgoyne, a- member of the Christchurch Firo Board, said it was only right that the cost of fire prevention should be borne by tho insurance j companies, seeing that tho companies reaped all the benefits from an efficient Brigade service. As an alternative, Lhe local Board and City should maintain the Brigades, and in return have ihe monopoly of insurance business in ihe fire protection area. Mr Burgoyne ilso agieed with the proposal that the iien of the Brigades should be provided ivith seme kind of work, for the reason :hat time dragged on their hands when ,hey had nothing to do. That work, lowever, should bo carried on at tho Ration itself, tor it would never do to save the men away working somewhere ;Jso when a call came. '"1 think Mr kVaiter Hill was on the right track vhen he suggested a Metropolitan .■oard of Works," added Mr Burgoyne. 'We have altogether too many Boards ontrolling various parts of tho public ervices. As matters stand at present, lowever, you cannot reasonably expect he City to provide a fire plant for outidors to use without payment." Mr H Holland, also a member of tli9 Christchurch Fire Board, said that at no present time the insurance compares had as much representation as the ;ity Council on the Fire Board, and hoy found half the money required for ho upkeep of the Brigade. "The diffiulty of the present position, however, , as that in tho event of an outside disvict joining in with the City for fire irotoction, without actually becoming < art of Greater Christchurch, no addi- i lonal contribution" could be demanded : rom the insurance companies. The ompanies would only he liable to conributo their quota in the event of a < istrict amalgamating with tho City, or < reatinjr its own Fire Board. That was : n anomaly in tho Act which required emoving. In his opinion the present j pstem was quite satisfactory, v.herebv j ho Council and the companies shared qualiy the cost and the control, but j

1 bettor provision should bo made for the creation of larger districts. An adI joining borough might bo quite willing to join in mi extended Firo District without becoming part.and nnrcel of the Citv itself, and there should be power to allow of that, being done. If Mr Montgomery's proposal were adopted, whereby the insurance companies would liuance the service, then tho companies should have the control. He could not say offhand what would he the outcome of that polic-. but it might easily lead lt> an increase in premiums with discrimination in the matter of fire service against premises uninsured. "I am heartih in agreement with the proposal to enlarge the Fire District/' declared ivlr Holland, "hut the first thing to be done is to amend the Act.'-' Referring to the proposal to give the Brigade men employment during their waiting periods, Mr Holland said that m a largo station such as the City station there was plenty of wtfrk for the JLen to do on the premises, repair work and so on. and lie did not approve of any suggestion to send the men out to work away from the station. It would never ho possible to have a prompt' and reliable Brigado if the men were not at hand to respond to an alarm.