M.E.D. AND FIRE BOARD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19727, 18 September 1929, Page 8

M.E.D. AND FIRE BOARD.

alleged want of . CO-OPERATION. information desired. The matter of the big petrol store fire came up at the meeting of the Fire Board last night, when the alleged lack of co-operation with the Fire Brigade by the M.E.D. was the subject of a short discussion. Under date August 24th, the General Manager (Mr E. Hitchcock) of the Municipal Electricity Department wrote: ''At the last meeting of the Electricity Committee, the comments that have been made upon the relationship between the M.E.D. and the Brigade were under consideration, and I am instructed to write asking if your Board would be good enough to advise the committee in what way the operations at the commencement of the fire were retarded by any lack of co-operation on the part of this Department. "The committee recognises the importance of, and necessity for, prompt co-operation with the Board under such circumstances, and is desirous of doing all it can to ensure such co-operation. At the present time, somewhat serious public criticism has been made regarding the Department, and the Department feels that the grounds for this criticism should be clearly stated, so that it can give the matter careful consideration, and, if necessary, ask for a conference between representatives of your Board and the committee. Your early reply would be appreciated." The chairman (Mr J. Cameron) said be thought that the Superintendent had dealt with the matter pretty fully in his report last month. Mr K. W. Robinson suggested that a quotation from that report should be sent in reply. The chairman remarked that the Department's letter was dated August 24th, while the Board's meeting was held on the 20th.

Mr Robinson: It is for them to answer; there is no need for members to say any more. Mr E. H. Andrews: Did they hare the Superintendent's report. Mr Robinson:' "They had it through the newspapers." He moved that a clause in the Superintendent's report be reported to the M.E.D. could not ask for a different report; it was the official report of the Superintendent.

The chairman said the newspapers had printed the report in full. Mr Robinson said that perhaps the Electricity Committee did not realise the danger of a fireman using a hotfe on transmission lines. They were asked by the. Superintendent to cut off power, but did not do so for some time.

The chairman referred to Mr Hitchcock's reply in a newspaper, in which he mentioned the tests at Rotorua some years ago. Mr Robinson: I move "That Mr Hitchcock be given an opportunity to hold a hose and play it on a live transmission line." (Laughter.) He recalled a case in Manners street, Wellington, in which a fireman was serious.y injured in this way. He suggested that a reply should be sent that they valued the lives of the firemen far more than the opinions of Mr Hitchcock. That was practically the position. (Laughter.) Mr T. M. Charters (referring to the quoted statement by Mr Hitchcock): It is an absurd statement to make. The chairman quoted from a letter the Superintendent sent to the newspapers: "1 don't regard the Rotorua set piece test as bearing on the point at issue." (Laughter.) On the chairman's motion it was decided to forward an extract from the Superintendent's report, and to set out that the Brigade's operations had been hampered by the known danger to firemen resulting from playing water on wire* carrying current.