NEW FIRE SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23928, 31 March 1941, Page 6

NEW FIRE SERVICE

COMMANDER APPOINTED The appointment of Mr. L. S. Abbott as district commander of the newlyformed Emergency Fire Service in Auckland lias been announced by the .Minister of National Service, the Hon. 11. Semple. Mr. W. L. Wilson, the district Fire Controller, states that there will bo 15 executive officers and 58 non-commissioned officers in the organisation, but all appointments have not yet been made. Enlistments of men who felt they had special administrative or practical knowledge would be welcomed. Enlistments have been open for three weeks but only about half the 450 men wanted for the service have been enrolled.- The age limit is 50 years, men liable for military service not beiny; acceptable. The medical standard is similar to the military one, and payment is the same as in the Territorial Forces. There will be an intensive training period of three months, including one hour drill periods four nights a week and on Saturday afternoons, each man training at the fire station nearest his home. The new commander, Mr. Abbott, is commissioner for training and organisation of the Boy Scout movement in Auckland. For the last three months ho has been living at the Central Fire Station for practical training. RECRUITS NEEDED APPEAL BY THE MINISTER An appeal for recruits for the firefighting service of the Emergency Precautions Scheme was made last night by the Minister of National Service, the lion. R. Semple. The Minister said that enemy attacks on civilian centres had shown that the destruction of the property, homes and lives of the people by incendiary bombs had become one of the main tactics of aggressors. There might be simultaneous outbreaks of lire in 100 different places. The Minister also said that volunteers were urgently required for the law and order section of the Emergency Precautions scheme. He said there was no need for panic, but there was cause for thorough preparedness.