Volunteer Fire Brigade On Hostel Ship

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30220, 27 August 1963, Page 17

Volunteer Fire Brigade On Hostel Ship

(From Our Own Reporter)

AUCKLAND, Aug. 26. Workers on board the V'anganella would provide their own volunteer fins brigade at Deep Cove. Doubtful Sound, the Manapouri project Mr R K H • mis. told a New Zerirnd W orkers' Union insoertion team on board the Wanganella today. The Wangar.ella's fourth engineer wae being retained for about six weeks. The ship's generators would be used for about six weeks tell temporary g»ner- ?■' rs could be established. Hot water and electrical f oilities would be available i’.mediately the ship reached Doubtful Sound. The consortium had taken the advice of a Marine Department nautical adviser on the question of the Wanganellas safety for the period she was to be anchored in Deep Cove before the wharf was built. Men would be ferried to and from the shore during this time by barges operated by qualified men. Any mam on the job who had a difference with another men. and who wanted to let off steam. could do so with boxes gloves in a gymnasium to be built by the consortium in :he hold of the ship. The h. ld had a steel deck at present. but would be soecially lined with a wooden floor for the gymnasium, where basketball and probably many other sports could be olayed. Mr Harris said his company had been told it would be permitted to have a wet canteen on board. It would he strictly controlled. Bar trading would have to comply with the normal licensing regulations. For regular entertainment of the workmen living on board the management would provide two movie projectors for film shews, and a tape recorder with a slack of records. Each waitch on board the Wanganella would have its own fire protec'ian responsib lity, said Mr Harris Every man would know where to go to in an emergency.

“Volunteers with considerable experience will be training for fire drill.” he said. The WanganeUa would have a full-time safety officer, who would also be responsible for safety ki the tailrace tunnel. The general superintendent of the project would also virtually be continuously on the job. Drills would be carried cut as Oommon practice immediately. Mr Harris said the engine room and other key safety points on the WanganeUa would be sealed off. Mir Harris sand that as a precautionary measure the chief engineer would be retained on the WanganeUa for a period. For the last fort-

night the chief engineer had been working out a procedure for running the ship as a floating hostel. Regular radio news bulletins would be tape recorded in the ship's wireless room, and the news services transmitted over the ship's public address system. On the question of sewage disposal, Mr Harris said that no risks would be taken. The best engineers were working on this question. The method to be finally established would be mutually agreed on between the consortium's engineers, who were competent design people, the staff of Bechtel Pacific Corporation (the Government's consultants), and the New Zealand health authorities.