DOBSON RESCUE STATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 February 1939, Page 2

DOBSON RESCUE STATION

MODERN EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE. At. a cost, of £4OOO, one of the most, modern mine rescue stations in the world hart been built at Dobson, and will he available for training in rescue work in about, a month’s time. The finishing touches are now being put to the building and the equipment, most of which has already arrived from England, will be installed within a fortnight.

Mr. Frank Duffy, of Greymouth, who is at present employed at the State mines, training teams for rescue work there, with apparatus owned by the State, has been appointed Superintendent of the new rescue station. Volunteers from all the district, mines will be given rescue training at the station and arrangements for parties of men from the various mines to visit the station for instruction will be made by the Superintendent.

The new station contains a lecture room, office, store room, training (gas) chamber and a bathhouse for changing. The modern equipment available will include 17 complete sets of the “Proto” rescue apparatus, two smoke helmets and an oxygen reviving apparatus. A motor van is to be garaged at the station and will be available to transport rescue teams and equipment to any mine in the district should, an emergency arise, at any time. The teams of men presenting themselves for training at. the station will be given comprehensive instruction in the use of the apparatus available and the gas chamber will enable testing to be carried out. under actual mine conditions.

The £4OOO required to build and equip the new station has been advanced by the Government, and will be repaid by means of a tax of Id a on on coal won from, the mines in the district. In addition to providing safely measures for the men employed in the mines, it is considered that the apparatus available may make possible the saving of valuable coal assets, should a fire occur in any of the mines.

In a statement made when the building of the new station was announced, the Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb) stated that Dobson bad been chosen as the site because it was considered the most central place among those mines likely to be faced with gas troubles.