The Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties Gazette. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1908. Fire Brigade Inspection.

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

The Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties Gazette. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1908. Fire Brigade Inspection.

The visit of the Inspector of Fire Brigades to Feilding marks an epoch in the history of fire-fighting matters in this town. In fact, the appointment of Mr Hugo to tho new position under the Fire Brigade's Act is one of the mast important steps yet taken in tlie domiion in the direction of meeting the growing needs of fire-pre-vention. Hitherto there has been no attempt made to organise the firefighting forces or to educate them in the most modern methods. Each city and town has followed its own devices, and has gone along the old lines. They all found ? the Wellington brigade and its stations models of up-to-date systems and equipments, and the discipline of the men was the strictest; but the results were most successful. And the brain that gave Wellington the best brigade and station outside Australia has now been secured by the Government to inspect the brigades under the Fire Boards, and to advise these latter bodies concerning the equipment of stations and tho training of the men. In this work we knoAV of no man better fitted than Mr Hugo to get the best results for the Boards and for the dominion. A courageous, sagacious, and enterprising fire-fighter of many years experience, a traveller with an observant eye, a skilled electrician, and an expert in chemicals, Mr Hugo's appointment is no adventure in experiment for the Government service. He is a tried organiser, and when he received his present- appointment Wellington's loss was the dominion's gain. The firemen of Feilding quickly recognised that they were under the eye of a commander who knew his busjness, and they also found that he was as ready to -give practical advice as he was to 6ee a flaw in their methods. The great advantage that will accrue to the fire brigades throughout New Zealand through their supervision by Mr* Hugo will be the practical application of his experience during the course of his inspection. For he will be no perfunctory official. He will not only place his finger upon a weak spot, but he will show how that spot may be strengthened. Nor does Mr Hugo content himself with a flying visit to a town that requires his official attention. "Thorough" has always been his motto. ''Close attention to detail" has been his principle, and "Always improve" h.as been his. aim in fire-fighting methods. And these things he is bringing to bear on his new duties in the very beginning of his inspectorship. 'The consequence is that lie is spending two full days in Feilding. and during his visit he will closely inspect everything within the •borough that has any bearing uJiaJteja 1 !^ upon fire-prevention work. Tims, \\i\ will personally investigate tho local appliances, the men and thpjr methods, the water supply and hnv it is used, the station, the strrirs. ugH the principal buildings. And when ho moves on, Inspector Hugo will carry -away an impression of Kcikling that will be of real use to him in the future. It can easily bo imagined how valuable the contact of such an expert must be to the officers and men of the fire brigades of New Zealand. We welcome Inspector Hugo's visit to Feilding; and "there is. no doubt another early visit rould be of great value. to our fire-

men. We trust that in the carrying j out of his duties ho will not only be j well met by the Fire Boards and j readily reoeived by tho brigades, but that tho Government will grant him every facility for putting his experience and his powers to the very fullest use.