CIVIL DEEFNCE TRAINING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23884, 1 March 1943, Page 6

CIVIL DEEFNCE TRAINING

DETAILS OF NEW SCHEME FORMING FIRSTLING ESTABLISHMENT (P.S.S.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 28. The new policy for civil defence organisations, which is to be put into effect soon by Regional Commissioners, was announced on Saturday by the Minister of Civil Defence (the Hon. D. Wilson). He said the main objective was the constitution of a civil defence fore, of minimum proportions, which would be efficiently trained and organised to secure the maximum backing up between areas or towns, with provision for the retention of all other existing personnel, on a basis whereby they will be available as a reasonably efficient body for reinforcement purposes, “Each E.P.S. organisation will be required to fix the unit establishment in ■respect of all units, such establishment to be based on the maximum number deemed to be required to give sufficient coverage in the light of the presi..t situation,” said the Minister. “The selection of personnel for unit establishments will b& made after due consideration of liability of personnel for military service in the future, in order to ensure that the establishment, once fixed, will remain as static as possible. Unit Establishment "The basis on which the unit establishment is to be determined as far as concerns front-line units in 25 more vulnerable areas has already been agreed upon, and the following gives the total establishment figure for these units in each of the 25 towns;—

“Auckland, 7500; Wellington, 5250; Christchurch, 3750; Dunedin, 3000; Whangarei, 900; Hamilton, 1050; Tauranga, 600; Gisborne, 750; Napier, 1200; Hastings. 750; New Plymouth, 1200; Wanganui, 1200: Palmerston North, 1 jSO; Masterton, 600; Lower Hutt. 1050; Petone, 750; Blenheim, . 500; Nelson, 800; Westport, 600; Greymouth, 700; Lyttelton, 400; Timaru, 900; Oamaru, 750; Invercargill, 900; Bluff, 300. "The distribution of the above establishment figures between the six frontline units in each case will be on approximately the following basis:— Wardens, 20 per cent.; law and order, 10; communications, 10; medical. 20; fire, 20; works, 20. “These establishment figures,” continued the Minister, “have been determined having regard to the population, geographical situation, and the relative vulnerability of each area from the point of view of enemy attack, and also, to some extent, taking into account the possible liability to major earthquakes. The establishments in all other districts will eventually be fixed after having regard to the same factors.

“An entirely new feature of the proposals will be the constitution, at least in the four main centres and in the secondary ports, of mobile squads. These will be additional to the establishment and will have a strength of approximately 10 per cent, of the establishment figures quoted above. As one of the main objectives of the new proposals is to secure the maximum backing-up between units and between areas, these mobile squads will be trained concurrently with front-line unit establishments, but will not be attached to any particular unit, the idea being to place them under the control of district- wardens as mobile units "to. be-used as' required for the reinforcement, of such units as warding,' fire, 'first aid. and communica*tions.-

“The balance of personnel in the E.P.S. in each district, namely, those who are not posted to unit establishment or mobile squads, will remain attached to their respective units and will constitute what will be known as unit reinforcements. Reinforcement Personnel

"Reinforcement personnel will, therefore, remain on the active list and will be required to carry on with a certain amount of training in their respective basic duties, but it is not considered that the present phase calls for compulsory parades-for such personnel in excess of one parade of not more than two hours a month. Unit reinforcements may, of course, be called out at any time to participate in trials.” Discussing future training requirements, the Minister said: “All personnel included in unit establishments for the six front-line units, as well as personnel in mobile squads, will be required to undergo training in a general personnel course, which comprises the following subjects: General duty, elementary first aid, elementary fire fighting, protection against high explosives, recognition and action on unexploded bombs, crowd dispersal, resuscitation, stretcher bearing, personal and general hygiene, and elementary chemical warfare. “The syllabus for this course will provide for 30 hours of training, which will be spread over a period of not more than six months. Those alr'eady qualified in any particular subjects need not undergo training, but they may be subject to re-examination at the end of the training period. Training Organisation

“There will be established, at least in the 25 more important centres, a special training unit, which, subject 19 the general direction of the central committee, will be charged with the responsibility of organisation and the direction of the whole of the training plans for the area, the supervision of progress and efficiency of training, and for the planning and conduct of all trials, including team and combined exercises and public tests. “The nucleus of this training unit will be chosen from officers who attended and graduated at the recent Civil Defence School of Instruction. A departmental circular covering details of the new proposals has been prepared, and the distribution of this to all E.P.S. organisations is being arranged by the regional commissioners. “The main objective of the policy now decided on,” concluded the Minister, “is the constitution of a civil defence force of minimum proportions based on the present need, which will be efficiently trained on a uniform basis in essential subjects, and will be organised so as to secure the maximum backing-up between areas or between towns, with provision at the same time for the retention of all other existing personnel on a basis whereby they will be available as a reasonably efficient, body for reinforcement purposes.”