FIRE BRIGADES

Evening Star, Issue 21965, 27 February 1935, Page 11

FIRE BRIGADES

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED LONG SERVICES RECOGNISED BLENHEIM. February 27. The fifty-sixth annual conference of the United Fire Brigades Association has concluded. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows :—President, Superintendent H. E. Fallas (Devonport), elected unopposed; immediate past-president, Deputy-super-intendent J. It. Wilson (Milton) ; vicepresidents, Superintendent A. Craig (Hamilton, senior) and' Superintendent A. J. Bennett (Nelson) ; treasurersecretary, Mr C. A. Osborne (Onehnnga) ; secretary, Captain T. J. Watts (Newmarket). At the invitation of the president, Superintendent J. J. Salmon (Dunedin) presented gold stars, denoting twenty-five years of continuous service, to the following firemen:—G. H. Hannay (Alexandra), E. Horve (Dannevirke), G. Jesson (Eketahuna), E. O’Neill (Sumner), and C. L. Prestney (Rangiora). Superintendent Salmon declared that the gold star was the highest honour after the valour medal, and it was a slight enough token in recognition of the devotion of such a lengthy period to a fine service. Invitations to hold the association’s 1936 conference were extended by Hastings, Akaroa, and Tauranga. In due course individual brigades will be circularised and invited to express their preference. The fire brigades’ demonstration opens to-day, but will be interrupted /to-morrow, when the whole of the visitors will be taken on a cruise of Marlborough Sounds on the ferry steamer Tainahine, which has been chartered for the purpose.