MODERN FIRE FIGHTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20564, 15 May 1930, Page 12

MODERN FIRE FIGHTING

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS. COMBATING OIL OUTBREAKS. THE USE OF CHEMICALS. ' Modern developments in firo prevention and fighting, the oulcomo of greater risks owing to tho danger of oil fires, wero outlined yesterday by Mr. P. K. Stubington, a director of Merrywcather and Sons, Limited, a London firm famous in the manufacture of fire and fire-fighting appliances. Mr. Stubington is visiting Now Zealand on business. " The object to-day is to knock a fire out rather than extinguish it by flooding," Mr. Stubington said. " Tho old idea of pouring huge quantities of water on to a fire is useless, as tho water frequently does more damage than the flames. The demand to-day is for liiglipressuro pumps which can knock the tiro out at its strongest point. " Attempts to extinguish oil fires by water or small chemical extinguishers arc practically useless. The increased use of oil all over the world constitutes a grave fire risk and tho problem of fighting oil fires must bo kept steadily in view. A chemical extinguisher known .: as ' fire suds ' has been found most suitable. The plant consists of two large tanks, one filled with bicarbonate of soda or alum and tho other witlr acid. Jho two chemicals aro pumped in different lines to the point of application and there they aro mixed, forming a blanket of foam which spreads over the burning oil and extinguishes tho flames by cutting off the oxygen from the. air." Practically all the laige bulk oil tanks "were fitted with these plants, Stubington said, and there was little danger of an outbreak of fire in them. However, oil was so widely used that there wero other dangers. The likelihood of outbreaks in garages had to be considered and firo brigades all over tho world wero adding foam plants to their equipment to deal with such contingencies. There was even a risk of oil fires in harbours. Oil escaping from tankers and spreading over tlio water only required accidental ignition to become a gravo danger to shipping. Port authori- I tics all over the world wero beginning to recognise this and were taking steps | accordingly. Speaking of ordinary firo risks, Mr. | Stubington said tho necessity for auto- j mafic alarm wiring was beginning to bo j fully realised. All large buildings should be wired in direct communication with the fire station, for with the height of the building to be taken into consideration a prompt alarm was of tho utmost importance.

Speaking on modern fire-fighting equipment, Mr. Stuhington said that among reoent developments were trailer lire pumps and asbestos fire suits. Ihe trailer pumps could bo attached to an ordinary motor-car and were of great use in country districts. Two of them were iu use in Gisborne.- Foam plants were also being made in tho form of trailers. Hie latest fire-fighting suit was almost like a diver's suit. It was made of asbestos cloth and had a smoke helmet attached, carrying its own oxygen plant, telephone apparatus and numerous safety devices. These suits formed part of the equipment of the larger brigades in England. They enabled a fireman to walk through flames and smoko to attack tho very seat of a fire. Mr. Stubington's firm has been indirectly engaged in fighting fires for the last 250 years. Collections of some of its equipment occupy two rooms in tho British Museum and at tho company's private museum at tho Greenwich factory there are relics from the Great Fire of London. Mr. Stubington, who will spend about three weeks in New Zealand, left l'or Wellington by train last evening.