Fire Protection At Harewood

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 12

Fire Protection At Harewood

The concern of the chief : fire officer of the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board (Mr L. R. Osmond) about fire protection at the Christchurch International Airport will be shared by everyone who appreciates the value to New Zealand of the hangars and installations at Hare wood—to say nothing of aircraft that might be in them. The buildings, hangars, and aircraft were said at a meeting or the board this week to be worth £7 million or £8 million. The intangible value is considerably more, for the Harewood facilities for overhaul, repair, and storage are essential to the internal air system. External air services depend considerably upon Harewood, too; and it is necessary only to look round for aerodromes in New Zealand able to take heavy moders aircraft with high landing speeds to realise how vital the airport is to the nation’s defence and security. Full responsibility for fire protection at Harewood is more than the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board should be expected to bear. Though the board is carrying out its obligations by giving service from the Sockburn and St. Albans stations, this is judged by Mr Osmond to be insufficient Nor is the board enthusiastic about protection provided by the Civil Aviation Administration, which is incomplete in both coverage and time. The board proposes either that it should establish a station at the airport or that the Civil Aviation Administration establish a permanently manned station. Here should be a field for fruitful co-operation between national and local authorities; but any hope that it can be easily arranged is diminished byi

recollection of recent statements by Mr T. A. Varley, the chief fire service officer of the New Zealand Fire Service Council Speaking °- z Are safety in buildings, Mr Varley said that conflicting rulings were given by the 13 government departments with responsibilities in the matter. He complained that his efforts to improve the situation had been “a cry in the "wilderness so far”. This conflict should not be allowed to prevent the efficient protection from fire of a most valuable national and local asset at Harewood.