Brigade Staff Shortage Discussed

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 14

Brigade Staff Shortage Discussed

“I don’t want to be gagged. I don’t want to embarrass anyone,” said the Government representative on the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board (Mr T. H. Boyle) at the board’s monthly meeting last evening. “I begged to go into committee instead of having to say it in open meeting.” Mr Boyle had just told other members of the board that the shortage of men was so critical that a New Brighton appliance went to a fire manned by only one man. He had earlier requested that brigade staffing be discussed in committee, but his

motion to this effect lapsed for the want of a seconder. Mr Boyle’s statement that the New Brighton appliance was manned by only one man was denied by the Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond). “No appliance turned up with one man,” Mr Osmond said. He added that he considj ered Mr Boyle’s statement derogatory to the brigade and an insult to himself. Mr Boyle intended to create the impression that there was only one man on some Christchurch fire-fighting appliances. Mr Boyle said he did not intend to create that impression, and was satisfied with Mr Osmond’s answer. Mr Boyle said he was concerned with the staff situation as a whole, including volunteers. He was concerned about New Brighton in the

day-time. It was difficult to man a machine in daylight hours. He was also concerned at the continuous shortage of Staff. Mr M. C. Healey said he wanted to know whether the staffing situation was serious or not. Mr Osmond said that the brigade had 89 men at present and was about 10 short. In a few days three men would join. The shortage of 10, he said, did not take into account the men who would be required to man the new Harewood station. Asked whether he regarded this deficiency as serious, Mr Osmond replied that the situation was serious to any fire officer if he was one man short. “But we have been more than one man short for many, many years,” said Mr Osmond. “It is the same in most industries in New Zealand.” Mr Boyle said he felt the solution would be to change the present system of working under an industrial agreement, and suggested that the fire service be run on similar lines to the Police Force. On the motion of Mr N. G. Pickering, the board appointed a sub-committee of the chair-

man (Mr W. R. Campbell) Mr Boyle, and Mr Osmond to find out what could be done to meet the staffing situation and report to the board. In a long debate whether the Christchurch brigade could contain a major fire, Mr Osmond said it could. Mr Pickering thought it could not. Mr Campbell said he had never heard that suggestion, and if he had he would “have knocked that one back.”