Benefits Of Civil Defence Course

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32077, 27 August 1969, Page 14

Benefits Of Civil Defence Course

Closer liaison and more constructive co-operation among the agencies Involved in civil defence could be expected as a result of the senior wardens’ course just completed at Lincoln College, the regional commissioner for the South Island (Brigadier J. T. Burrows) said yesterday. Brigadier Burrows referred to toe official presence at the course, for the first time, of Education Board and Education Department representatives and senior police lofficers. In all the groupings in civil defence none were more essential to its efficiency than the education authorities and toe police, be said. The school was the key to civil defence planning and the important thing was that, at a time of emergency, people made their way to the nearest primary school. The schools had been adopted as sector headquarters and there should be the closest understanding between the civil defence team and headmasters. Co-operation had been promised. The Edu-

cation Department had issued a directive, but this must be

complemented by a relationship between wardens and teachers if plans were to work smoothly, said Brigadier

Burrows. Mr R. Hewitt, assistant regional executive office of the Department of Education, and Mr D. Wilson, assistant

secretary of the Canterbury Education Board, who both

attended the course, supported the view of Brigadier Burrows. Mr Wilson emphasised that teachers, and particularly headmasters, could not be put Into key civil defence roles. In the event of a disaster during school hours, the teacher’s first duty was to the children. There was no reason, however, why a headmaster should not act as a deputy for a sector warden. The police party at the course included senior representatives from Christchurch, Nelson, Blenheim, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill, and was headed by Chief Inspector W. R. Fleming, of Christchurch. Chief Inspector Fleming said that the police willingly handed over control when a situation had got beyond their resources, and this could well coincide with a declaration of a state of emergency. At that stage the police were phased out and civil defence staff came in as controllers, he said. The police then become part of civil defence and worked within the framework.