CALL FOR INQUIRY INTO FIRE SERVICE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 21

CALL FOR INQUIRY INTO FIRE SERVICE

(From Our Own Reporter)

WESTPORT. March 7. An inquiry into the fire .-service will be requested by tne United Fire Brigades’ Association. The annual conference of the association at Westport today directed its executive to approach the Minister of Internal Affairs <Mr G;>tz) after it had referred to the resignation of the Chief Fire Service Officer (Mr T. A. Varley) The move was made on the motion of Chief Officer G D Cochrane (Queenstown) who expressed the concern at the loss of Mr Varley from the fire service He claimed that many delegates felt strongly about the loss of Mr Varley and they had noted that nothing much had been said about 'he matter either by the chairman of the Fire Service Council (Mr S S Dean) or by Mr Varlev h’mself Mr Coihrane said a great deb - of gratitude was owing to Mr Varlev and few c<v>’rt have done as much work fo‘he crtmtry in the c'-mnara-tiv“tv short time in wb’cb he had b-en associated with the service

“He was one of 12 in the whole of the world trained to work for the prevention and control of fire on a large sca’e when Britain was shacked durm - ’ World War H" said Mr Cochrane “Then Mr Varley w->c in charge of 23.000 rr>°n in Wale* and 27 OOQ in another area and we can ontv hope *hat we will never have to it«”• such a force in this country altbou'-’h we shell’d always stand ore. pared ” Mr Cochrane said that Mr Varl-v had had a “hell” of a ficht to do the thing bv the fire service in New Zealand and might ow have reached the stage when he <wW take no more, making it d’ffioult to reverse his decision about refiring After Mr Cochrane had framed h’s motion he said ■fiat it might be the means of finding out why the service was los’n-g a man of Mr Varley’s standard. His remarks were applauded by a large section ot

the delegates and the motion, seconded by Chief Officer L R. G. Harlen (Hastings) was carried without dissent.

Retiring Limit Of 65 (N Z Press Association) WESTPORT. March 7. The 65-year retiring age limit for firemen approved by the United Fire Brigades’ Association conference this week would come into force this time next year, said the president. Chief Fire Officer C A. Nightingale (Oamaru) at the conferenece today. He was replying to questions from delegates.