Fire Brigade Plans To Buy New Appliances

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31976, 1 May 1969, Page 19

Fire Brigade Plans To Buy New Appliances

Plans for the purchase of new appliances are contained in the estimates for the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board tabled at its annual meeting this week.

The total estimated net expenditure for 1969-1970 is $561,225 —an increase of $108,776, or 24 per cent, on last year’s estimates. The increase in estimated expenditure on fire appliances is $60,350, an increase of $55,000 on last year’s estimate.

The Chief Fire Officer (Mr F. A. Hardy), in a report accompanying the estimates, recommended the purchase in the next financial year of a dual purpose appliance at an estimated cost of $17,000, and a salvage, emergency, pumping tender at an estimated cost of $17,500. Mr Hardy also recommended the purchase of two dual purpose appliances in 1970-71, and asked that the Fire Service Council be asked to approve this in principle. He also recommended the

establishment of a fund for the eventual purchase of a hydraulic elevating platform at a likely cost, in 1974, of $70,000; a utility vehicle for the use of fire prevention officers, and the establishment of a fund for the replacement of the turntable ladder. He said that in future the board should have a policy of replacing at least one appliance every year. Mr Campbell said that it had been the board’s policy to purchase a new appliance each year, but the board had missed in the last two years because of the “cut-back on expenditure due to economic conditions.” He said that the Fire Service Council had received conflicting opinions from overseas on the worth of elevating platforms. Approval had been given for the Wellington Fire Brigade to buy

one, but delivery would not be for 18 months. The council had also approved, in principle, the purchase of an elevating platform by the Auckland brigade. But he did not think the council would approve the Christchurch application until more evaluation tests had been done. Board members said that Mr Hardy must be convinced of the worth of the appliance if he included it in the estimates.

Mr Campbell said that $14,000 had been set aside in the capital replacement fund towards a triple-purpose sal-vage-emergency tender, so that the board had that sum towards the $17,500 asked in the estimates. It would take five years, at $17,500 a year for enough money to be funded for the purchase of the tender.

Mr Hardy, in his report, said that the existing turntable ladder would require replacement not later than 1976. However, the firm which supplied it was not making any more, and spare parts for the engine were not obtainable. The ladder, therefore, although in good working order, was extremely vulnerable to long periods of non-availabil-ity in the event of a breakdown. The cost this year of a replacement would be $38,000. Mr Campbell said that there was $4OOO in the capital replacement fund towards the purchase of a new turntable ladder.

Mr Hardy also estimated that $9449 would be needed to be spent on hoses in the next financial year—an increase of 89 per cent over last year’s estimate. He said that this sum would again be required the year after, but then that the sum would taper off as only condemned hose would need to be replaced. The board, while approving the estimates in principle, decided to hold a meeting on Friday afternoon to consider Mr Hardy’s report, in conjunction with the estimates.