FIRE-FIGHTING SYSTEM

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22661, 16 March 1939, Page 12

FIRE-FIGHTING SYSTEM

Safeguards at The Exhibition VALUE OF FACILITIES TESTED ITHE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, March 15. Within five minutes of the alarm being given brigadesmen subdued an imaginary fire outbreak in the Centennial Exhibition buildings at Rongotai to-day. The demonstration was watched by about 100 Wellington businessmen, including directors of the exhibition, insurance experts, and members of the Wellington Fire Board. As in an actual fire the' first thing done was to bring into action one of the hydraulic hoses let into the floors thioughout the buildings and able to be operated by any stallholder or other person on the scene of the outbreak. Mr S, S. Dean, manager of the South British Insurance Company, Wellington, then pressed the wall fire alarm, and the screaming of the siren was heard outside, as the special exhibition fire brigade arrived with the brigadesmen carrying powerful modern water guns. They burst in through the two doors on the south and east sides of the court, and within 70 seconds of the alarm a powerful jet of water was leaping across the hall with a range of 100 feet. A few seconds later a second came into play from the other door. Meantime the rising crescendo of the siren of an approaching engine was heard from the Constable street station. and before three minutes its crew of firemen had entered on the west side of the court and brought a further three hoses to bear. There were tvow five high, pressure jets playing on the supposed fire, each at the rate of 180 gallons a minute. Almost at the same time the Miramar engine arrived, and ihe brigadesmen brought into action two further jets from the south door, and the court was filled with a maelstrom of hurtling water. Superintendent C. A. Wooley explained that this was the minimum that would be applied to any flre_ at the exhibition. When the reflecting pools and ornamental lakes were filled it would be possible with the brigade’s powerful pumps to bring 16 jets pf water into ectior. and to double the water supply provided .by the ordinary reticulation system. Extent of Facilities He said that the measures taken to prevent fire in a 15-acre wooden building ranged from two gallon soda-acid extinguishers to high power jets from the apparatus of the brigadesmen stationed permanently in the grounds. In the buildings were installed 30 hydraulic hose reels able to be used by any stallholder and marked by red lamps above their situations. All that was necessary to use them was to run some of the 120 feet of hose out and turn the tap on the nozzle. The alarm was automatically sounded from the reel. In addition, mains were laid throughout the grounds with hydrants at key able to supply 550 gallons a minute of waters Curtains from the roof would be used to isolate the fire. ■ As the object was to ensure the earliest possible alarm being given, in addition to the alarms in the hose reels. 15 manual fire alarms were installed inside the principal entrances, and the number would be eventually increased to 21. The brigade was thus assured of an early call. Three brigades from Constable street and Miramar, and the exhibition’s own brigade, would be available within a minute or two. Two types of fire screen were demonstrated to enable a decision to be made as to which sort was the more effective. Both were based on the principle of a__high-pressure pipe led across the cejling of the court and perforated at frequent intervals. One. however, simply threw a curtain of water immediately beneath it. and the other was on the garden sprinkler principle and released a diffused spray, drenching a very much wider area. The spectators were profoundly impressed by the demonstration and the speedy measures and thorough precautions being taken to eliminate the danger of fire.

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