AMBULANCES

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 296, 13 September 1927, Page 8

AMBULANCES

ONLY ONE FIT FOR ROAD NEW CAR DESIRABLE IMMEDIATELY OLD NAVALS PROBABLE HEADQUARTERS II a catastrophe were to happen in Wellington to-day calling for the speedy help of the ambulance service in removing injured people to the Hospital, it would probably be found that only one ambulance of the six in the city and Hutt Valley would be fit to take the road, and that one the property of the Harbour Board. - Anybody’s business is nobody’s business, and the ambulance service in Wellington has on past occasions left something to be desired. Hence the movement which has brought the Wellington Free Ambulance Service into existence is receiving support on all hands. A responsible executive representative of all the local bodies and organisations concerned in its welfare in the area in which the service will operate, has been appointed, and a superintendent and organiser, Mr. F. Roffe, who has just commenced his duties, has been employed. Those members of the executive who attend the meeting called for to-night will probably receive a shock when they hear the report which has been prepared as to the state of the present equipment. Only one machine, it is stated, is fit and ready to take the road, and that is the one which is being handed over bv the Harbour Board, and which cost £1450. In addition, the Harbour Board has promised a contribution of £250, and this generous ac 7 tion was followed by all the local authorities. Two or three years ago the Hospital Board bought a new ambulance to supplement one which had done duty for so manv years. It is quite a reliable machine and has rendered splendid service, but has been run so continuously that it is stated to require a thorough overhaul to put it in firstclass order and to eliminate the possibility of a breakdown. Hutt and Petone. There is an ambulance at Petone and another at Lower Hutt, both of which have seen their best days. An employer of labour said yesterday that the sooner the Free Ambulance Service started the better, for he instanced the delay likely to occur, especially in the Hutt, where payment for the ambulance was required before a case was undertaken. However, those days will soon belong to the past. The ambulance at Upper Hutt is said to have gone past repair, whatever may be done with the others. New Vehicle Imperative. The question of where the Free Ambulance Service will be boused has been causing a good deal of concern, but there are great hopes that a happy solution will be arrived at ere long—a solution which will enable the ambulance to be housed (temporarily, at least) in the Wellington Naval’s boatshed. The matter came before the City Council last week, when it was agreed to take steps to ehdeayour to have a clause inserted in the Local Authorities Legislation Bill during the present session of Parliament authorising the council to grant to the Free Ambulance Service a lease of the premises previously occupied by the Wellington Navals', . the term of the lease to be for two years, and the rental to be the same as previously charged to the Navals, £l6 17s. fid. per annum. It is considered that this will be a much better proposition than the previous one, under which the I'ree Ambulance was to pay the City Council £175 for a lease of one year from the Wellington Navals. “Nevertheless,” said Mr. C. MLuke, chairman of the Hospital Board, yesterdav, “the question as to a home for the Free Ambulance does not prevent the executive of the Free Ambulance from placing an order for a new ambulance right away, for this is imperative.” Mr. Luke agreed that the condition of the six ambulances, as stated above, was very poor. Magnanimous Offer. The Wellington Navals have done everything possible to enable the Free Ambulance Service to secure possession of what is practically the _ only central position in the city giving a quick get-away in response to an urgent call. This is part of the property which it is desired to acquire for the Central Fire Station, and which may vet become the headquarters of the fire brigade, with the ambulance and kindred organisations close by. lhe old Navals have ceased to exist since the war. The whole matter was handed over to Major J. Abel, as officer commanding the 15th Coast Battery, to act as trustee for the battery, they being the successors to the old Navals. The old boatshed was built forty years ago, and the club was carried on until 1911, when the territorials came in,’and the volunteer units lost their titles. When it was realised that the present shed could render such an important service in . housing the kree Ambulance, those in authority felt that the use to which it was being >ut could not be allowed to be an obstacle, and at once agreed to forgo the remainder of their lease, which expires in 1929, in order that the Free Ambulance might occupy it at once. they only asked that housing accommodation should be provided for their boats if they vacated the present shed. It is understood that this difficulty has been overcome, and that the boats can be housed nt Seatonn, close to the forts, a position, that is acceptable to the Navals. The cost of this will fall on the Ambalance Service, and it will cost about £5OO to alter the boatshed to make it suitable to house the ambulances.