Emergency Scheme for City

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 49, 26 February 1941, Page 8

Emergency Scheme for City

PLANS NOW BEING FORMULATED Plans for the further development of the Emergency Precautions Scheme in Palmerston North are now being formulated, and as the first step toward the practical application of the scheme, Cr. W. B. Tcnnent, recently appointed chairman of the committee by the City Council, has visited New Plymouth, Hamilton, Auckland and Napier to study the progress made there in this connection. Cr. Tennen was impressed with the organisations in force at New Plymouth and at Auckland, and the setting up of similar precautionary measures will very shortly be undertaken in Palmerston North. “About. 15 or IS months ago a skeleton organisation was formed in Palmerston North,’ said Cr. Tennent. “The work done then will form the basis of the further expansion of the scheme. The various committees then formed will shortly be called together to formulate the complete organisation. When these plans have been worked out a public meeting will be called and an appeal made for personnel. The exact numbers required will then be made known. A central bureau will be set up for taking enrolments in the near future. “In other centres the Home Guard and the Emregency Precautions Scheme organisations are working in complete harmony, and it is to be my endeavour to see that condition is continued in Palmerston North. Each organisation has its particular sphere of activity, but, as I see it, each is essential to the other, and Palmerston North should be able to provide easily the personnel required by both. “At New Plymouth a complete scheme has been worked out and is already in operation. There is complete unanimity there between tne Home Guard and the Emergency Precaution-? Scheme; each group knows its particular activity and has its own personnel. The various phases of the Emergency Precautions Scheme have been worked out in detail and include, among others, complete medical services, a full auxiliary tire service, a whole transport service and a wardens’ organisation. There has been hearty co-operation in the development of the technical side of the scheme there—covering the enlistment and allocation of persons with particular qualifications, such as for publicity, medical and fire services—and the wardens’ system adopted has been most satisfactory. This embraces a control extending, with close connections, from the chief warden to the individual warden, each of these having assigned to him a particular block of residences or other buildinigs. It is each warden’s job to know the people in his district and to familiarise himself with any difficulties which might arise in his urea.

“At Auckland,” said Cr. Tennent, “I saw the most advanced system of all. The whole scheme has been worked out there down to the most minute detail, although on very much the same lines as that at New Plymouth. In Auckland there have been several ‘black-outs* in various sections of the city. At Napier a scheme similar to the others is now being put into effect. “When a call is made in Palmerston North for personnel many kinds of services will require men and women. Firemen will be needed to extend the possible scope of the Fire Brigade, technicians of many kinds will also be needed. These will include many trades, such as electricians, men skilled in dealing with waterworks and gasworks services, transport, the St. John Ambulance Brigade, the Red Cross and V.A.D.’s. Women’s organisations have been training their members for some time, and the various kinds of work they have undertaken could be put to very good use in the furtherance of the scheme here.

“In the meantime, the skeleton organisation already in existence must be expanded to encompass the whole scheme and to igive sufficient detail to prepare for the enlisting of personnel That phase of the work is to be proceeded with as quickly as circumstances will permit.”