FIRE-WATCHING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 42, 18 August 1942, Page 4

FIRE-WATCHING

THE PUBLIC INTEREST

MINISTER REPLIES TO CRITICS

The fundamental principles of a fire-watching service were outlined by the Minister of Civil Defence, Mr. Bodkin, in his reply to a deputation from the committee appointed at the meeting of firewatchers held in Wellington recently to ask the Government to determine whether fire-watching was necessary in its present form. The Minister stated that firewatching service was deemed by the Government to be necessary in the meantime in the public interest, and gave the deputation confidential information as to the reasons on which the Government had based its determination. The Minister' said, he understood that those attending. the meeting opposed the fire-watching service, first, because in their opinion it was unnecessary in its present form, having regard to the changed position in the Pacific; and because it was regarded as inefficient as no training of the fire-watchers had been inaugurated, and the regulations, particularly those with I'egard to equipment, were circumvented. All aspects of civil defence measures, he said, were kept continuously under review in relation to the appreciation of the Dominion's danger as assessed from time to time by the expert advisers of the Government. "VERY CAREFUL PLANS." Mr. Bodkin said that before firei watching services were inaugurated, very careful plans were formulated' in conjunction with the Chiefs of the Armed Services to determine the [localities in order of expectation ojE danger, and the extent'to which firewatching would be brought into operation, having regard to their vulnerability. The directions were.then forwarded to the Emergency Precautions Services. In Wellington personnel were required to be available at all times in buildings in the areas selected so that outbreaks of fire could be handled immedately, and so that they could be fully trained to deal with incendiary bombs. " This fundamental requirement called for the presence of trained personnel to be available in the-buildings at the time incendiary bombs actually fell. , TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT. Attention had to be directed to the related questions of adequate training of personnel, provision of necessary equipment, and equitable enforcement of the regulations. ••■ The training of personnel was. of vital importance. Measures for training had been issued recently by the Wellington E.P.S., and no doubt that; organisation would ■ take early steps to ensure their enforcement. He .had requested that special consideration be given to this matter by Mr. A. D. Wilson, a fire officer from the Department of Home Security, England, who had been lent for duty here. Adequate training of personnel would be placed on a national basis as soon as possible, and in the meantime ■ steps would be taken to ensure that firewatchers were given training in the use of equipment and other instruction to enable them to cope with fires.

The Minister promised that steps would be taken to bring about the provision and maintenance of standard equipment where available, or the best improvised methods that could be secured. •

Reference had been made, said the Minister, to the question of insurance, arid while there could be little doubt that a fire-watching service had ah important bearing on the incidence of fires, the necessity for it was based entirely on public interest. The destruction by fire of goods, foodstuffs, and other material would be extremely serious during the war period, when it would be next to impossible to procure replacements. In conclusion, Mr. Bodkin expressed his appreciation of the helpful manner in which the' committee had approached the problem, and for its assurance of co-operation in whatever steps might be required to enable the fire-watching service to become a valuable part of New. Zealand's civil defence. He felt sure - that the Government would continue to receive wholehearted service from those called on to participate in fire-watching.