OUR FIRE FIGHTERS.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 612, 1 July 1908, Page 2

OUR FIRE FIGHTERS.

A VISIT FROM INSPECTOR HUGO VALUABLE HINTS AND OBJECT LESSONS. . ' MORE ENTHUSIASM WANTED. Mr Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades for Isew Zealand, paid an official visit to Feildihg yesterday, and last night made an inspection of the Feilding Brigade, followed by an instructive, though brief, lecture to the officers and men. The men having fallen in at the Brigade station at 7.30, in charge of Deputy-Superintendent Jones, Mr Hugo came along and asked them to extinguish an imaginary fire at Trevena's boarding house, in Kimbolton road. Two reels were taken, and the water from two leads of hose played on to the building, the Inspector taking the time. The men then returned to the station, and, after hanging up the wet hose, assembled inside to hear Mr Hugo's address. Mr Fred. Pirani (Chairman of the Feilding Fire Board) introduced the Inspector to the men, saying there was no. one who knew more about fire brigade work than Mr Hugo. It was an •enormous advantage to the whole colony to have the Inspector travelling through the country and teaching the brigades how to improve their work. THE LECTURE— NOT TO FIND FAULT. Mr Hugo commenced his address by saying his mission was not to find fault for the sake of doing so. •He wishod the men to bear" that in mind, becaue he might say some sharp things for their benefit. The first thing he wished to! say was that there was not the enthusiasm there should be in the Feilding Fire Brigade. LIFE-SAVING. On putting a question to the De-puty-Superintendent, Mr Hugo v?as informed that the men had > received no instruction in this most important branch of the fireman's work—lifesaving. gave them a practinl illustration in the correct method ol picking lip and carrying an uncjjiscious man. Tho jumping-sheet, to enable a man who had been cut off by burning stairs to escape from a high building, was explained, and Mr Hugo enjoined on the men the necessity of always nutting something underneath the sheet — a bag'of straw, bedding, etc., because the sheet always gave way. » The chair loop, made with rope, for lowering a man, was also illustrated. Restoring respiration by artificial means was then explained, and . illustrated, according to Dr! Silvester's method. , Mr Hugo impressed on the men the absolute necessity of a knowledge of this work, becauso even their own brigade mates might be overcome with smoke, and the knowledge called for. - PHYSICAL; DRILL. The necessity for physical drill was referred to, and Mr 'Hugo said ho found it imperative to haye drill himself every day, to keep himself fit for his work. It gave a man chest ani lung expansion, and the man , who could swallow the most smoke would make the best fireman. In perma.ient brigades physical drill was compulsory, and lie hoped., the- volunteer brigades would go in for it. SOMETHING ABOUT SMOKE. In the case of a shop full of smoke, the first thing to do was not to bre'\k it open, but to get the applian'iea ready for extinguishing the fire. When the water was on, then open the door — don't smash the window. Then, no matter how thick the smoke was, there was always a clear, space near the floor. The fireman should always crawl along the floor, taking a lead of hose with him — he could follow it back in case anything went wrong." Smoke, continued the lecturer, would explode at a temperature of 800 degrees Fah. He had pointed out this fact eight years ago. They had proof of it at the fire in Keinpthorne Prosser. and Co.'s building, when an explosion took place jwffieh -n-as attributed to gas. But it was only on 'rare occasions that this took place, and they would not be likely to meet with such an experience in Feilding. Explosive smoke was very black, and when such was met with the proper thing to do was to open the doors and let the air in. FIRE'S NATURAL ENEMY. Water, said Mr Hugo, extinguished fire, not because it is wet, but because it lowers the temperature at which combustible materials will burn. He said that a small jet of water on a fire helped it, instead of reducing it, because it fed the flames with oxygen. In this connection he I pointed out that the Feilding Bri-i i game's nozzles were too small. They have inch nozzles, instead of 1 half-inch. At the present time they , were not getting the full benefit of I their splendid water pressure. Incidentally it was mentioned that fire- | extinguishing chemicals were very ! little better than water. FRICTION IN HOSE. The Brigado was enjoined not to '. have any mort hose than was absolutely necessary at a fire, because in j the ordinary thinly lined hose they lost 131 b -pressure in every 100 feet. In thickly lined hose the loss was 131 b, arid this was used largely in America. Some reference was made to the'practice of dividing a single lead into two leads, and vice versa, and the Inspector said to take two small leads from one hose was worse than usless — they should always put two into one. NO HAND PUMPS. It was found that the Brigade had no hand pumps. Commenting on this, Mr Hugo said no brigade he had visited were possessed of a hand pump — a most necessary thing in their equipment. A hand pump, worked by one jnan, would throw a jet 40 feet high, and was useful for putting out "bull's eyes" at a fire. The men were instructed in the best method, of dealing with a burst hose, and were shown the correct way to exalade a high wall. On "being told that the Brigade possessed one 20ft and two 10ft ladders, Mr Hugo said they were not enough for the possible requirements of the town. DISCIPLINE. " Absolute, implicit obedience to your officers," said the Inspector, "is essential Jm the success of your efforts." Every man should make himself acquainted with his duties^ auj should carry them out to the best of his abilities. "Respect yourselves and your Brigade, and the people of the town will respect you,/.anfej||^ uniform. *My men and thewftn^ forms are respected in Wellington, and discipline has done it." (Applause.) THE MEN WILL DO THEIR BEST. Mr Pirani, in thanking Mr Hugo for his valuable lecture, said the benefit of appointing him to his high position would, be felt T all over the colony. Although they were only a volunteer Brigade, they were just as anxious as the permanent Brigades to reach the highest stage of efficiency possible. He hoped Mr Hugo would continue tho work he had so well begun. , They anticipated that at no distant date they would have decent quarters for the men) where they could have both recreation and instruction. A hearty vote of thanks was carried with applause. Deputy-Superintendent Jones also returned thanks, and hoped the lecture would be one of many. - The men would do their\best to carry out the valuable suggestions offered by the Inspector. He apologised for the absence of Superintendent Say-well. Mr Pirani stated the full strength of the Brigado was 20, and Mr Hugo expressed^tbo opinion that they should certainly not let it get below that number.