E. P. S. TRIAL

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4554, 26 February 1942, Page 2

E. P. S. TRIAL

STATE OF EMERGENCY IN QUEENSTOWN

Last evening the ringing of the fire bell at 7 p.m. gave the cue to the first E.P.S. trial in Queenstown. Though heavy rain fell and the temperature was low, the controllers of the E.P.S. staged a very successful trial. Immediately the alarm was given controllers were in attendance at the Mackenzie Hall, and each, with their assistants set about their tasks.

The fire brigade was called out to deal with imaginary fires at the high school, ‘ Tutuilaand Hotel Eichardt. When the mains were ‘burst' with a ‘bomb’ the water was drawn off the lake by the pump. Law and order was rigidly maintained in the streets. The auxiliary policemen had a busy time keeping part of Camp street clear of people on account of an imaginary ‘unexploded bomb’ having ‘dropped’ on the street. The medical and transport sections had a busy hour in dealing with numerous casualties. In the Mackenzie and Parish halls an efficient staff in charge of the improvised ambulance quickly answered the calls brought in by the local boy scouts and members of the Women’s Auxiliary. Nurses and V.A.D.’s treated the casualties. The cases dealt with included fractured jaw, broken pelvis, broken tibia and broken fibula, broken femur, shock, head injury, burns, etc. Unfortunately, there was an absence of adequate equipment. The E.P.S, Y.A.D. 's, St. John Ambulance and W.W.S.A. all combined splendidly in a first effort. The communications, in charge of Mr F. W. Bailey, worked smoothly and contributed largely to promptness with which the instructions were carried out. Transport was a busy section and thanks to the owners of vehicles, casualties were speedily brought into the emergency hospitals where St. John Ambulance found scope for their activities. The chief controller (Dr Anderson) and deputy controller (Mr Koyds) fulfilled their dut-

ies admirably

The emergency lasted for an hour and at the conclusion all helpers and casualties reported to the Garrison Hall and partook of refreshments provided by the W.W.S.A. The chief controller and deputy controller spoke at length to a large number of workers and friends and expressed their thanks for the success which had been achieved. The owners of loaned vehicles were specially thanked, so were also the members of the W.W.S.A.