DISPLAY BY FIREMEN

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29911, 27 August 1962, Page 10

DISPLAY BY FIREMEN

Drill Watched By Big Crowd

A remarkable response to the “real thing" began the public display of drill presented by the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Brigade on Saturday morning The siren wailed soon after demonstrations began at 10 a.m and within 16 seconds three machines were on their way. The call, to the Christchurch railway station. war dealt with in short time

The display, presented in the yard of the new station lasted for about an hour and consisted of five drills, each of which drew strong applause from a crowd of abou' 2000

The swinging of a man from the third floor of the tower with nothing to break his fall except the taughtening of a long, doubled rope was among the most spectacular items. Five men with hook ladders made simple work of scaling the vertical tower' wall. As each ladder was mounted another was hooked over the windowsill above The use of one of the 50ft wheeled extension ladders to recover a woman who refused to jump into a net because. as she loudly proclaimed. she wanted to be rescued by a fireman, provided humour much appreciated by the onlookers Other demonstrations were the use of lines for seif rescue and the recovery of an unconscious person with the use of a turntable ladder. Thp brigade's band played items

The new station was opened to public inspection after the. demonstrations Small boys immediately donned helmets and took over the premises. On Saturday. September 8. a . similar demonstration will be given The Chief Fire Officer <Mr L. R Osmond) said that as such demonstrations were so popular thev would probably be held fairly regularly from now on.

Canonisation Planned. Pope John has revealed that he hopes to canonise Pope Pius IX. a nineteenth century Pope, during the forthcoming Ecumenical Council Pius IX >-eigned for 32 years, from 1846 to 1878. the longest reign in the history of the Church.—Rome, Aug. 25.