New Brighton fire service

Press, 18 April 1981, Page 14

New Brighton fire service

Sir.—On Thursday March 14, 1974, a special meeting at the Fire Board was held and members agreed in principle to a recommendation from the Chief Fire Officer, who at the time was Mr F. A. Hardy, that negotiations be started with a view to engaging permanent staff for New Brighton. Mr J. W. S. Stevens told the meeting that grave difficulties with day-time calls had been noticed at New Brighton. The work load fell on three or four volunteers; the senior station officer at New Brighton said that employers were reluctant to let staff leave their jobs to answer a fire call. Could the residents of New Brighton be informed what progress, if any, has been made regarding the replacement of our obsolete volunteer system?—Yours, etc. G. DAVIDSON. April 5, 1981.

[Mr G. Roberts, Area Commander, Christchurch, for the New Zealand Fire Service, replies: “Following the Fire Board meeting mentioned by Mr Davidson, difficulties arose in reaching an agreement whereby the New Brighton Fire Station could be manned

by permanent men during the day and volunteers at night. However, the situation was, at that time, satisfactorily resolved by appointing a number of volunteer firemen who worked on shifts at their fulltime jobs, and who were available for turnout to fires during the day. This system has worked until the present witt the New Brighton Volunteer Fire Brigade providing not only an efficent unit, but sufficient numerical manning tc meet the requirements of the Fire Service Act. Like all matters pertaining to Fire Service operations the manning of the New Brighton Fire Station is under constant review.”]