WOMEN'S PART

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 128, 26 November 1938, Page 19

WOMEN'S PART

BOMBS OVER LONDON

AIR-RAID PRECAUTIONS

Duties women can carry out in air raids include being responsible for water supplies; fire brigade staff car and dispatch- car drivers; watchroom attendants to receive fire calls, and clerical work, states a London observer.

Commander A. N. G. Firebrace, chief officer of the London Fire Brigade, outlined these duties, painted a grim picture of cars driving through (a bombswept London. He was addressing members of the Women's Auxiliary Service and the Women's Reserve in London, and emphasised the importance of a driver knowing all London's main roads in the vicinity of the station to which he or she was attached.!

"Now, to know one's way about London in peace-time is difficult enough," he added, "but in war the streets would be darkened and roads might be found blocked by fires in progress, building collapses, shell holes, and, possibly, gascontaminated areas."

A figure of 5000 simultaneous fires per air raid was probably not an extravagant estimate. It had been said that they might expect from three to six raids a day. Each raid might be made by from 100 to 150 bombers, and even a medium bomber could carry from 1000 to 2000 incendiary bombs. ; INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSIBILITY. "The first line of defence is the individual householder — the property owner," he said. "Every house, block o flats, hotel, factory, warehouse, should provide something for its own protection—should have its own private fire brigade, should provide its own fire-fighting equipment, according to its size and the nature of the risk that it offers." The second line of defence was undertaken by large numbers of trailer fire pumps. The third line of defence consisted of heavy appliances of the peace-time fire brigades, considerably augmented. The heavy appliances would be in reserve at the peace-time fire stations, and at a large number of auxiliary fire stations put into commission in the event of war.

Referring to women motor-drivers, he said that groups of cars would be required at fire brigade headquarters and the six superintendent stations. Telephone communications would be very unlikely to remain intact and messages would have to be taken by car. A syllabus had been prepared setting out appropriate courses of instruction for motor drivers, watchroom assistants, and clerical workers.