Foxton and its Fire Brigade

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 223, 20 September 1943, Page 6

Foxton and its Fire Brigade

The quarterly meeting of the Foxton Fire Board was presided over by Mr. A. H. Clerke. Also present were Messrs M. E. Perreau, F. Robinson, F. Shaw, Desmond and K. Parker (brigade superintendent). Members made reference to the sterling qualities of the late secretary, Mr. K. Kangiheuea and expressed sympathy with the widow and family. Mr. Roy Kangiheuea (son of the late secretary) was appointed secretary to the board.

Correspondence was received from the secretary of the brigade asking board members to meet the brigade after their meeting to discuss matters relative to uniforms they had not received, together with the recent fire in Cook Street. A letter was also received from the Foxton Chamber of Commerce drawing the board’s attention to the bursting of the brigade’s hose in the Cook Street fire and asking the board to take such steps as to ensure that in future only first class hose be used at all fires. It was decided to write the Chamber giving all the facts of the Cook Street fire and assuring that only first class hose would be carried on the engine in future. The superintendent stated that he must accept full responsibility for the hose at the Cook Street fire. Some brigadesmen had placed second grade hose in one of the lockers where only first class hose is usually kept. The chairman: I must ask you as superintendent to see that such a set of circumstances shall not exist again. I am very sorry for the people concerned. They have lost everything that was in the building at the time of the fire. The superintendent: That has already been attended to, sir.

It was decided to instal a special line to the pumping station from the lire station for signal purposes in cases of future fires. A letter was roceived from the brigade requesting that the caretaker’s allowance be increased from £l2 to £26 per year.—No action taken.

A letter was received from the Dominion Fire Controller stating that an application had been made for a trailer pump and it was hoped that this pump would come to hand at an early date. The chairman remarked that one was no doubt needed in Foxton.

Mr. Kobinson brought up the matter of two brigadesmen not having uniforms and he mentioned that the men concerned were dissatisfied at not having received them w r hen a requisition had previously been made for them. The chairman said that the board had not received any requisition for the uniforms concerned and they could not supply them if they were not asked for. Mr. Perreau: The brigade is not a happy family at all.

Mr. Shaw said there was some discontent in the brigade at not having received the uniforms in question. The brigade was under the impression that the board had not bothered about them.

The chairman stated that at the end of each year the superintendent placed his requisitions before the board and they were placed upon the estimates for the ensuing year and if they did not receive any requisition, they could not supply.—lt was decided to supply one uniform in the meantime as one of the members had an auxiliary uniform and he could use this in the meantime. Mr. W. Williams was elected a member of the brigade to fill a vacancy. Mr. Clerke extended thanks to Mrs. Apatari for acting as secretary right up until the appointment of f a permanent secretary.