FIRE PROTECTION FOR CITY

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23508, 10 December 1941, Page 8

FIRE PROTECTION FOR CITY

. ♦ PRECAUTIONS IN EMERGENCY COMPULSION ADVOCATED FOR PERSONNEL “The enrolment of the necessary personnel for the Emergency Precautions Services should be made compulsory, and people should be drafted into units as required,” said the chairman of the Christchurch Fire Board (Mr T. M. Charters) at the meeting of the board last evening. “The sooner this is done the better. At present we are getting a lot of double-banking and we are not using the available power to the best advantage.” , , Members of the board discussed lor a long time the organisation of the emergency services in the city. All were unanimous that compulsory service was essential. Mr J. D. Carey said that the central executive of the Emergency Precautions Services in Christchurch and the service controllers had waited on the Minister, asking for conscription for all units and for compulsory drafting into them. Nothing had been done, but he now thought it would be done very soon. Mr Carey also assured members that the city services had a personnel of thousands, now being properly trained in the duties they would have to undertake in an emergency. The discussion started when the superintendent (Mr A. Morrison), giving a summary of a long circular received ■ from Wellington on the proposed regulations for the protection of private buildings, said that the circular amounted, in effect, to actual regulations. The provisions could be enforced but the Government did not want to have .to enforce them. However, the board could make the requirements compulsory. They stipulated that every owner of a building in the “high value” area was expected to provide emergency fire fig ht t in | equipment and enrol the essential staff in the Emergency Precautions Service. Mr M. J. Russell, asking about the protection of important buildings where there were not sufficient employees to arrange suitable fire-spoi-ting squads, suggested that the Home Guard might be called on to provide personnel. As an instance, , m tioned wool-stores. In the next few months they would be carrying a great deal of wool, of high value, the property, ultimately, of the British Government. It was impossible for such firms, who had at most only a dozen permanent men available, to arrange suitable teams at each place. Those teams ought to be arranged by some authority, Mr Russell said, and it seemed that the Home Guard might be used for the protection of such essential stores. There were various hospitals and institutions without manpower available, and they would not be able to secure fire-spotters. It seemed that’ there was a considerable section of the Home Guard personnel that a concerted effort was being made for tne protection of individual buildings, but it had been expected that such a task was the responsibility owners. The Emergency Fire Service and the Christchurch Fire Brigade m a raid, would not be able to undertake the work. He thought that the suggestion that the Home Guard should provide such personnel was worth taking up. Businessmen Criticised. “It seems strange that only recently quite a number of businessmen have interested themselves in the protection of their own businesses," said Mr Carey. “Members of the Emergency Precautions Services organisations have been criticised for dilatoriness and unpreparedness, but the whole problem in Christchurch boils down to personnel. Use of the Home Guard would lead to a conflict with the duties of the Home Guard, which is essentially a military service. But unfortunately the position is that there are a number of men in the Homq Guard who would be unfit for military service in an emergency. Until we get the personnel we can expect to get nowhere. Nothing has been said to-night that has not been discussed for a year by the Emergency Precautions Services. The only reason that the scheme has not been put into effect is the lethargy of the people, including the. business community, and its unpreparedness to protect its own interests. We should ask the Government or the Home Guard to make available for the emergency services those’ men who are unfit for military service.” Mr Carey said that the organisation of fire-spotters had not been neglected. There again it had been a matter of personnel. “I am pleased to hear it,” said Mr K. W. Robinson, when Mr Carey gave the board the assurance, mentioned above, that the numbers of men and women being trained in the emergency services ran into thousands. Mr Robinson said it was essential for the public to know what was needed. Ii the numbers did not exceed two thousaqd more would yet be needed. Every man who had not yet secured a job with the emergency services ought to do so immediately. There were a number of men in the Home Guard, elderly or not fit for military duties, who could be used in the emergency scheme. Mr Russell agreed with Mr Carey that the business community had been apathetic. There were many big business firms who had not done a thing to protect their own properties, such as the provision of fire-spotters on buildings that carried valuable and irreplaceable stock, he said. “in The Wrong Sphere” “The trouble is that so many men are most likely in the wrong sphere,” said Mr W. P. Glue. He gave as an instance the organisation of a demolition squad. Naturally builders and contractors ought to comprise such a squad, he said, but many of them were in the Home Guard or rescue sections. There ought to be authority to draft such men into the proper units. Mr S. H. Maddren; The Home Guard commanders will not like losing those men. Members: That is the trouble, Mr Charters said he was glad to hear from Mr Carey that the city prganisayon was as good as stated. During further discussion, Superintendent Morrison said that action had already been taken under the plan j outlined in the proposed regulations. A board of architects and engineers was being set up to advise the owners of buildings on the protection necessary. That board would get its instructions from the Fire Station and would then visit buildings in the city.