National fire plan

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33783, 4 March 1975, Page 2

National fire plan

A four-tier for the proposed J nationalised Fire Service <

was advocated yesterday by the chairman of the Fire Services Commission (Mr J. K. Hunn). At the opening of the United Fire Brigades Association conference in Christchurch. he said the proposed structure would be headed by a Fire Service Commission controlling regions divided into areas, themselves divided into districts. Mr Hunn said: “A firefighting system designed to

protect a million people dis-1 persed m single houses and two-storev offices is inadequate for three million

people, many of them in high-1 rise apartments and offices.” Mr Hunn said there would probably be six regions with 23 areas. The regions would’ be based on six main cities! and their principle task would I be administrative. The areas would be based; on all but three of the present permanent brigades. “Financial control would operate through block alloca- I tions of funds, work pro-! grammes. vehicle pro- | grammes and similar measures,” said Mr Hunn. The funds would come from a ! Parliamentary vote. Under the scheme the volunteer firemen had nothing to, fear Most of the 251 districts would have volunteer forces.! Opening the conference, the | Minister of Local Govern-'

Iment (Mr Mav) said nationalHsation was fundamentally only a step ahead of regionalisation.

Mr May said he had originally thought it might nave taken up to five years to nationalise the service, but it ' would have been quite wrong to ignore the strong support ! for nationalisation among the permanent brigades. “I am quite prepared now to move quickly towards nationalisation. provided others who also have a vital interest in the efficiency of the fire service are similarly prepared,” said Mr May. Marae. — South Auckland Maoris plan to begin work on a $150,000 to $200,000 multi-tribal and multi-cultural marae on a four-acre site at Papakura in about three months. The marae will take | about 10 years to complete.— I (P.A.)