FIRE-WATCHING SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 172, 17 April 1942, Page 4

FIRE-WATCHING SERVICE

Wellington Organization WARDENS TO REPORT ON DEFAULTERS ,- The; 'Wellington city fire-watching committee, consisting of Messrs. S. S. Dean, It. 11. Nimmo, C. C. Miles, and C. A. Woolley, decided yesterday to arrange for wardens to check up on buildings -in the tire-watching areas of Wellington to ascertain which had not provided the services required. On the completion of this inquiry, the necessary steps to deal with such cases will be considered.

“The time has arrived for more detailed attention to be given to such matters as the reduction of unnecessary hazards in buildings, the supply of lire equipment, and the training of personnel,” said the city fire watch organizer, Mr. V. E. Hampson-Tindale, in a report to the committee. “The matter of equipment was left in abeyance till such time as personnel details had been completed, in order that a building which would appear to require 20 stirrup pumps should not purchase such equipment ouly to find that ten watchers would be operating witbin the building, leaving the remaining 10 stirrup pumps for ornamentation only. This method has probably saved a considerable sum. Provision of Equipment.

"More energetic endeavours should now be made in the supplying of fireifehting equipment wherever necessary, and to enable this to be achieved, I am requesting the superintendent of the fire brigade to furnish to me duplicates of all requisitions served on building owners and requiring them to install fire-fighting equipment in their buildings. It is proposed that the building organizers will be charged with 'the responsibility of seeing that these requests are fulfilled as far as may be possible. Concurrently, I am gathering information concerning supplies of equipment, and will endeavour to formulate some scheme whereby building organizers can at least receive a bare minimum of equipment pending furthei- supplies becoming available. “Efforts have been made successfully to induce building organizers of adjoining and nearby buildings to co-operate wherever possible and run within the framework of one organization. There are numerous instances where four or five buildings have adopted this procedure, thereby eliminating expenditure in the duplication of sleeping accommodation, messing facilities, etc. This has saved wastage of personnel. Groups of three 'buildings have found that by co-operating the total number of watchers a night may 'be reduced to about 66 .per cent, of what otherwise would have been required. Strength of Service. “Material statistics on the 15th day of this month, relative to five-watching in the Wellington area, show that there are 11,667 males liable for the service.. Total exemptions are 1405, comprising E.P.S. exemptions, a limited number of medical exemptions, and exemptions from outlying areas such as Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Johnsonville. The remainder available for fire-watching service will be 10,262, and to this must be added 1613 volunteers, including women available part-time, making the total 11,875. “The number of groups of buildings covered is 549. Watchers required at night in these buildings total 1319, or a weekly requirement of 11,781. The actual shortage of fire-watchers is 1949, but the same returns show a surplus in various buildings of 1363. Thus the actual shortage in the 549 groups of buildings is 586. “Buildings have .been classified into four grades as follows: —A (least fire hazard), 137; B, 205; C, 177; D (worst fire hazard), 30. Buildings in the above returns with automatic sprinkler systems number 32. “During the last few days individuals have been appointed to report needless fire hazards throughout the city area and, in the immediate future, work will be in full swing. Already large quantities of junk and inflammable materials have been removed by individual building organizers.” Liability of- Owners. The question of the liability of the building owner for fire-watching costs in resfiect of corridors, lifts and other amenities in general use in the building was discussed by the committee. In view of representations received, it was decided that where amenities such as these were for common use by all occupiers of the building, they would not involve tlie owner iu liability.