EVIDENCE OF OFFICER IN STREET

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25444, 16 March 1948, Page 6

EVIDENCE OF OFFICER IN STREET

When he saw the smoke increased, he saw no necessity to investigate as Officer Burrows was in the building" and his duty was to stand by the No. 1 machine, said Junior Station Officer Thomas George Oakman. His examination was not finished when the commission adjourned. Office* Oakman said he had served with the brigade for 21 years. He had been an officer for 12 months. Apart from station drills and experience at fires, the only training was lectures, on and off, on hydraulics. No regular course of lectures had been given, but one course was given 18 months ago for six months. The superintendent and Officer Burrows gave the lectures. He became an officer because of length of service; some selection was done. He was third officer in seniority at Ballantyne’s fire. Mr Watson: We know that Mr Burrows was reconnoitring the building and Mr Stevenson was up the alley. You would be responsible for the brigade operations on the street frontage?—l had No. 1 brew. No. 1 crew had no specific duty at the time No. 11 crew was running the* lead up the alley?—No. You, as officer in charge of operations on the street front, are entitled to control all the men of the brigade? —I would say so. The chairman: Have you ever been told? “No,” replied witness. No Instruction Given Mr Watson: Is there anything in brigade orders dealing with who is in charge of a particular front in the absence of Sny officer?—No. Have you ever received any instructions on who is in charge?—No. Not written. Oral? —No. We can take it that you have never been told what to do in the event, as happened here, senior officers were away on .other duties?—l have not been told. , Did you regard yourself as in charge of operations on that front when Mr Burrows and Mr Stevenson . were away?—Yes. “I think,” interposed the chairman to Mr Watson, “that you are putting a suggestion, to him which he could not possibly have known, because he had no instructions. When they returned, ig this man supposed to have dispersed the whole brigade. You are putting him in a hole, in a sense. Mr Watson: No. I am trying to find out what he is supposed to do.

Officer Oakman, said he went into the alleyway after Officer Burrows for 12 or 15 feet. He had not seen Officer Stevenson or Fireman Thompson going into the alley. He saw Firemen Shaw and Campbell go in, and saw Fireman Todd go out. He went in primarily to get any orders from Officer Burrows, who had given no orders to anybody at the machine before he left. He saw a civilian without a coat talking to Officer Burrows at the entrance to the alley. The man pointed to the alley, and did not follow Officer Burrows, who got a respirator in the alley and put it on. “When the engine pulled up. pretty thick" smoke was coming out of the alley and rising straight up the street frontage,” he said. “Very slight smoke was coming out of the open middle window of Congreve’s building. I saw no smoke seeping from the ground floor windows or from the conduit pipe on the first floor.” Visibility in Alley When he went to the alley, his original intention was not to enter the alley, but to wait-at the opening till

Officer Burrows came out. When he reached 15 feet in, visibility was nil, and he could not see the double gates. He saw Fireman Campbell paying out the lifeline to Roberts some distance inside* the alley. He walked upright. He was in the alley for about two minutes before he returned to the opening, after finding the smoke too thick, to await Officer Burrows’s return. Officer Burrows came out, and went away with the man in shirt sleeves. The civilians at the entrance could see down the alley only a short distance. Mr Watson: Did you get any orders from him before he went off with the man in shirt sleeves?—eNo. Did you speak to him and ask him if he had any orders for you?—No. By that time there had not been much change in the smoke, said Officer Oakman. He saw no change to warrant his taking any action in the absence of instructions from Officers Stevenson and Burrows. The fire had not reached the stage where the application of water was urgent—“there was no place> to put it.” He went to the middle of the road, and saw that the smoke had not increased and that there was no flame. He went to a KSte? tetween the building and the Burrows tO awalt the return of Officer hiSSiS? 11 an T y signs of giris the building?—No. I never saw one. - h yo « the summons was to a cellar fire?—Yes.

Thought was in Goodman’s «»^! he J a S sence of y° ur two superior officers, did you not conceive it neces£S£&JE?i? inspection of .those parts of the building adjacent to where the smoke was?—No. I thought Mr Burrows was in the first door of Goodthe back t ' here ” S he was right round

Was there anything to prevent your Burrows going right down Colombo street to Cashel street, past that doorway?—There was a fair number of civilians there. Could'you see the fire escape between Pratt’s and Goodman’s build-thSi-V°rj t,ot , know it was ‘*?ore. l. dld ?u ot know about it till that night after the fire Did you give any instructions to the men as to getting out any leads?—No . And you saw nothing of any people m danger?—No. P Is it fair to say that until Mr Burrows returned your position was one of complete inactivity on the street?— I could not do much until he came

And you did nothing?—That is so. It may well be that there was nothing you could do or anything calling for attention at that time?—That is so How long do you think Mr Burrows W TiTi_ awa Y ? —Three or four minutes. When he reappeared was anyone with him?—No. He came running up to me and said: “Put a lead in there right away—the 'biggest you’ve got.”

Increasing Smoke While you were standing alongside your motor did anyone come and ask you for respirators or a Roberts?—Not I a soul. - \

Was the rest of your crew standing by?—Barson was there. I can’t remember whether Stockwell and Tripp were

You could observe the development of smoke?—Yes. Was it increasing? Was it coming out of the windows?—Just slightly. Did you not think that called for investigation of the first floor?—Not as far as I was concerned. Mr . Burrows was in the building;—l was not there. It was my duty to stand by the machine. I did not think there was any necessity for me to investigate thd first floor or any other part of the building.