FIRE-WATCHING SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 99, 21 January 1942, Page 6

FIRE-WATCHING SCHEME

Application In MidWellington Area BUILDING WARDENS AND ORGANIZERS

Practical application oi a firewatching scheme for Wellington business blocks is now getting under way. Organization of the fiiewatching service in the vulnerable city area requires as a pre-requisite that owners or tenants of buildings should appoint a building organizer, states the Wellington fire-watch organizer, Mr. V. E. HampsonTindale, in a preliminary report which he has submitted to the mayor, Mr. Hislop. This dhtlines the’ obligations and responsibilities resting on the appointees.'

“It is desirable,” he adds, “that the office of the building organizer be entrusted to a person of executive status in the employ of the principal occupier of any particular building. If unanimity of opinion among occupiers on the appointment should not be possible, it is suggested that either the building owner or the Wellington organizer be consulted.

“Building organizers will be responsible for the fire-watching organization in the particular building entrusted to their control, and their duties will include: (1) The utilization of all personnel employed in the building who may be liable for firewatching duties. (2) The preparation of duty rosters. (3) The requiring of all individuals employed in or from their particular building to produce evidence of their having enrolled in the E.P.S. if such individuals conic within the scope of the regulations. (4) The furnishing of such information concerning the building and personnel as may be required by the Wellington organizer. (5) Generally, to attend to all matters relating to the fire-watching service in the building. “The keeping of records, rosters, and so on, being a essential portion of the building organizer’s duties, it is highly desirable that such individuals have available to them some clerical facilities for the carrying out of this task. “In many premises ‘building wardens’ have already been appointed, and in .such cases these persons. presently will 'be advised of the relation of their activities to the fire-watching service. Where such appointees are capable of carrying out, and are able to do, the duties of building organizer, both offices may be assumed by the one person j this in fact, is hightiy desirable. , , , . “It should be understood that in such cases building organizers will be responsible to the Wellington organizer or his nominees insofar as tirewatching is concerned, but in other matters such as evacuation and firstaid, the responsibility will be that ot the district warden. Building organizers should in each case appoint their own deputies. “In the immediate future occupiers of buildings which have not already been visited, will be visited by wardens or other persons empowered by the Wellington organizer, who will require the name of the building organizer. The person holding this office will then be instructed in greater detail as to the nature of his duty.” E.P.S. PERSONNEL Fire-Watching Duty Clarification of the position arising where local body E.P.S. representatives living in the area surrounding Wellington were ordered to take up fire-watching duty in Wellington was discussed at a recent meeting of representatives of Lower Hutt, Petone, Hutt County, Upper Hutt Borough, Makara County, Johnsonville and Eastbourne. The following motion was passed: That the Director of National Service be informed that it is tlie considered opinion of this nieeting that no enrolled member of any local body E.P.S. organization should be co-opted by any other local body E.P.S. for the purpose of giving effect to the continuous fire-watching regulations.”