Important Measures In Fire Services Bill

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1949, Page 8

Important Measures In Fire Services Bill

WELLINGTON, Sat. (Sp.).—A central fire council of seven members to control fire services, an emergency fire service for rural fire protection in peacetime and to form the nucleus of a wartime fire defence service, are proposed in the Fire Services Bill, which contains 87 clauses and consolidates existing legislation concerning fire brigades. Its purpose will be to improve the standard of training, to coordinate fire services and to improve finances for small brigades, said the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry).

■ The proposed constitution of the Central Fire Council is: Two persons appointed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, and one person to be appointed by each of the following:— The Council of Fire and Accident Un-

and be ,n cured control of the technical side of the fire service. The bill classifies fire districts into united urban, urban and secondary urban.

derwriters’ Associations, the Muni- . cipal Association, the Fire Board’s Association, the Fire Brigade Em- ,,, ployees’ Association of Workers and the United Fire Brigades’ Association. The council is called upon to ensure that every urban fire authority maintains an efficient service: to reclassify Are districts; to provide reserves of plant for emergencies; to carry out experimental and research work, and to establish training c0ur5...... ...... ;es for officers and men. The council may require any urban fire authority to improve the efficiency of its service. The authority must comply unless it can establish to a magistrate or by arbitration that the '.Z requisition is unreasonable. The staff of the council is to be provided from the public service. The bill sets out ' a scheme of reinforcement between brigades. FIRE PROTECTION The council may authorise the owner or occupier of any commercial or industrial premises in a rural area in . which more than four persons are nor- “ mally employed, or where the value of the premises and contents exceeds T £SOOO, to register the premises for fire protection purposes and to make provision for fire protection. The existing Inspector of Fire Brigades.: will be replaced by a chief officer. who will have ' extended powers

No tire district will be created in future unless the water supply is approved. The bill varies (he basis of contribution of revenue for some districts and limits the expenditure in view of the smaller size of towns and the lesser standard of protection possible. Although the bill brings all fire brigades under its provisions, the existing system of local administration is retained. The controlling local authorities are designated urban fire authorities. Existing fire boards are to be retained but no more will be set up except where united urban fire districts are constituted

The bill increases the Government contribution to the cost of urban fire services. It provides that the expenditure in fire districts shall be contributed in the proportions of 10 per cent by the Government, 50 per cent by the underwriters and 40 per cent by the local authorities. Contributions in the current year were 1.2 per cent, 49.4 per cent and 49.4 per cent respectively. SUBSIDY PAYABLE In secondary fire districts the local authority is required to pay at least half the costs A pound-for-pound subsidy is payable by the Government and the underwriters, who contribute in the proportion of one-sixth and fivesixths respectively. The amount of the subsidy is limited to £l5O without special direction from the Minister.

The registration of all volunteer and industrial brigades is provided for in the Fire Services Bill which was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday. Conditions of service in industrial brigades are to be approved on the same basis as volunteer brigades. Another clause in the bill, however, restricts the operation of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act in its application to volunteer fire brigades. It exempts volunteer.firemen who have not received more than £25 in cash annually for their services. .