Standard Fire Engines To Aid Makers

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30156, 13 June 1963, Page 15

Standard Fire Engines To Aid Makers

The Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board decided, by five votes to three, to ask the New Zealand Fire Service Council to investigate the possibility of issuing standard specifications for the bodies of several types , e appliances which would meet the needs of all fire brigades in the country.

This resolution was passed after board members had a lengthy discussion on the merits of New Zealand-made bodies on imported fire engine chassis as against wholly imported engines. The matter arose out of a letter from a Nelson firm of motor body builders protesting at the board's unfavourable comparison, at a previous meeting, of the quality and price of locally-as-sembled fire engines with that of engines imported from Britain. The firm said it could build fire engine bodies as good as the English ones, and, if given an order for, say. six bodies, the price would be reduced. The letter said the board was unfair in criticising New Zealand fire unit bodies without seeing its products. It had recently supplied bodies for fire brigades at Queenstown and Invercargill. and was building one for Motueka. The board’s members were welcome to inspect the one being built, and make any inquiries about others in service, said the letter. The board's chairman (Mr W. R. Campbell) said the question of buying New Zea--1 nd-made and assembled engines or importing comp'ete engines had been a matter of argument for four years. At the most recent meeting of the Urban Fire Authorities' Association, it had been made clear to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Fire Service Council that the fire authorities wanted the right to buy fire engines either in New Zealand or imported ones, Mr Campbell said. A member: Now the Government is considering allowing more cars to be imported. The Cabinet will decide on Monday. Are cars more important than fire engines? Shouldn’t we put

it to the Minister of Customs that extra funds should include some for fire engines? Mr Campbell: I can assure you that that point has already been put to the Minister by the executive of the Fire Service Council. He said that the merit of New Zealand-assembled fire

engines compared with that of imported ones could best be judged by the fire officers and men who used them.

The Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) said that the Minister had told the United Fire Brigades’ Association and himself, as president of that association, that the restriction on importing of complete fire appliances would be lifted as soon as the economic conditions had righted themselves. “Specially Built"

“There was a suggestion that fire engine bodies should be built in New Zealand on imported c.k.d. commercial vehicle chassis. In my opinion, that would be terrible. Chassis must be specially built for fire engines," Mr Osmond said. Mr E. R. McGrath said that the Nelson firm's letter referred to bodies only and that they would be built on imported chassis. Was the quality of the New Zealand

body so much different from that of the imported one? The board should support New Zealand industry. A lot of people paid lip service to it, said Mr A. A. Adcock, but the board should support body-builders in New Zealand if the quality was good. Mr Campbell: What about the price? It costs about £350 more for a body built here.

Mr Osmond: I did say on a previous occasion that English firms would be turning out 50 or 60 units of similar make and this would reduce the price a unit.

Mr McGrath: The Nelson firm says that the price would be reduced here if they had an order for six. Is there any reason why the bodies should* not be standardised in New Zealand? Mr Osmond: I see no reason why not. Everything else is standardised. One-hose reel and two-hose reel models would be wanted, but that would be quite simple.

Mr W. E. Olds: We have been criticising, in the past, machines that have already been built here. We have not criticised machines or bodies being built now. Mr Campbell: There have been complaints about both quality and price. Mr J. R. Smith: They are specialists who make fire engines in England. It is a specialist’s job: and there is none in New Zealand.

Mr R. J. Daly: If a firm in New Zealand got the orders throughout New Zealand for fire engine bodies required throughout the country it would pay it to specialise. Mr Campbell: An average of 12 units is all that is required a year. Mr Olds: This board now requires two new engines and a tender and has the money set aside for them. Three years ago I was informed that New Zealand required 30 new units. It would be 60 now. After further discussion. Mr McGrath moyed. and Mr Daly seconded, that the board ask the Fire Service Council to investigate the possibility of laying down standard specifications for types of fire appliance bodies required in New Zealand. •

Messrs Campbell. Olds, and Smith • voted against the motion.