EMERGENCY SCHEME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23859, 9 January 1941, Page 9

EMERGENCY SCHEME

FIRE-FIGHTING SERVICE

MOTOR-DRIVEN TRAILER PUMPS

Calling tenders for TO motor-driven trailer fire-pumps to he used in the Emergency Precautions Scheme, the Public Works Department has initiated the equipment of this civilian force which, in the event of a national disaster, would be used with the Home Guard to co-operate with the Army and civil authorities.

The order for 70 pumps as a nucleus for a Dominion supply, has been called after inquiries had been made as to the possibilities of producing this type of fire-fighting equipment in the Dominion. Several firms, it was found, are capable of making a satisfactory outfit.

Fire brigade representatives from the main centres met in Wellington last October, and went exhaustively into the general outline of their specialised part of the scheme. Details will be discussed. and finality reached on some questions at a further meeting this month, and it is likely that an allocation of the pumps will be made so that amateur lire-fighters may be trained into professionals. The pumps, self-contained units, will be of great value for their mobility. They' can be towed behind a car, for example, or can be pulled manually where a car cannot go. The specifications of tender call for a high degree of efficiency.

Equipped with these pumps, civilians trained in their use could supplement the work of regular fire-fighting equipment in the event of an earthquake, invasion, or other cause starting largescale fires.