FIRE-FIGHTING

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 130, 1 June 1917, Page 8

FIRE-FIGHTING

WORK AT CENTRAL'STATION.

Members of the new Fire Brigade* Committee of the City Council paid n visit of inspection to the Central Fire Brigade Station yesterday afternoon and were shown the methods adopted for keeping the plant in the highest state of efficiency. The public generally have an idea that a fire-brigadesman has an easy, lazy life when there are no fires to quench. The very reverse is the case. Members of the Wellington Fire Brigade are required to be at call any hour in the 24, they are not free after eight hours' work. In ■ addition to this, however, they attend to all the work of the station, keeping the plant in order and improving it. This with instructional work arid drill keeps them busy every morning and afternoon. Some of, the w.ork done by the handy men at the station was shown to.the- members of the committee yesterday. They have painted the interior of the station and repapered their various quarters. Also they have kept the appliances in .first-class order. . This in itself is no small task, for the wear and tear on vehicles rushing to a lire is bound to be great. Moreover, nothing may be left tti chance. There must be a regular overhaul, and constant attention to weaknesses. It would not do if a motor broke down when rushing to a fire. That the motors never do break down is forgotten by most people, when considering the work done by the bi-i----gadesmen. There is painting and cleaning to be done every day. The old ladder has recently beeri scraped and repainted quite as well as could be done by a tradesman. Also a body has be'yi builb on a new auxiliary motor. This is fitted so as to carry a hose and reel or a squad of men, so relieving the second fire-motor which will thus remain in the station hi case of emergency. Superintendent Tait, when explaining the appliances to members of the committee, gave a demonstration of tlio alarm apparatus. In the watch-room of the station are a number of dials,- clocks, and indicators, all operated by the street fire alarms. When "the glass of one of these'alarms is.broken, and the button pressed, bells are immediately set ringing all over the station, calling' the men from their quarters and arousing everybody. Simultaneously an indicator springs up, showing > the district from which the. alarm comes,, while a hand, on a numbered dial moves to a figure indicating the sub-division of the district. For example, the indicator and dial:read Hl6, and the watchman immediately knows the point from which the alarm has been given. As soon as tlie bells ring a clock in the watchvoom stops, 'thus recording the exact minute at which the signal arrived. At night the alarm; also connects with a switch, lighting up the men's quarters and station. It is proposed now to put in a new switchboard, backed on a wooden wall, so that alterations to the wiring can be made without difficulty. This will necessitate the removal of the bat-tery-room, now in a corner of the watchroom, and also.taking some space from the single men's quarters. The batteryroom will be placed in the corner of. the drying-room. . / A further improvement proposed is the installation of a second telephone wire. At present the 'phone is much used by people wishing to give alarms— often to the bewilderment of the watchman, since people, under stress of great excitement, are apt to ring off as soon oa they have stated that there is a fire, before the watchman is able to ascertain the locality. Apparently these people imagine that the brigade h^j some mysterious means of finding the fire without any direction being given.