THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Thursday, February 5, 1942. FIRE WATCHING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24833, 5 February 1942, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Thursday, February 5, 1942. FIRE WATCHING

The organisation of fire-watching services is an indispensable part of the general emergency precautions scheme. If proof were needed of the effectiveness of these services, as offering the best form of protection against the spread of fires caused by enemy action, British experience has abundantly provided it. Nor can. there be any objection to the application of the principle of compulsion in fire watching as in other branches of the E.P.S. Organisation in New Zealand, however, in this as in other precautionary directions, seems surprisingly to lack, as between one centre and another, uniformity of practice. The most recent pronouncement of the committee which is responsible for the organisation of fire watching in Dunedin indicates that it will shortly be necessary for fire patrols to sleep on the premises which they are appointed to guard. This would necessarily be a condition of service during a period of actual danger, such as would arise were it known that the enemy was in fact approaching these shores; but in the meantime it would appear that the committee ; is adopting an extreme course in preparing to install its fire watchers, under what might be described as active service conditions.. It is not our wish to disparage, or even to appear to disparage, the plans which the Mayor's organisation is making for the protection of the city area in the event of emergency. Thoroughness is not a fault where emergency precautions are concerned. It seems pertinent to inquire, nevertheless, whether the committee has an exact knowledge of the number, of persons who will be compelled .to sleep away.from their homes if its present proposals are carried into effect, bearing in mind the, fact that the personnel assigned to the patrolling of premises as fire guards must be drawn from the age group between 46 and 65 years. It is explained that under the pian bri which the local scheme is based the city between Frederick street and Market square has been divided into 84 blocks, some containing single large buildings, others two or more smaller buildings. There will be a specified number of watchers in each block, and the duties of patrol, during the hours when the premises are not in normal occupation, will be shared. This suggests inevitably that the total number of watchers will be large, and raises the question whether sufficient • personnel will be available. There is also need for clarification of the position in residential areas, which may themselves be subject to attack if raiders appear. What if bombs are dropped in these localities while male members of households are acting as fire guards a mile or more away from their homes? Doubtless the committee will have further information to give the public on these points. Criticism of the present proposals, however; will be mainly directed to the intention to enforce sleeping-in on business premises immediately, as though crisis conditions were actually upon us. In Christchurch only a few days ago the Mayor, Mr E. H. Andrews, definitely repudiated any suggestion that employees should be required in the meantime to sleep away from their homes. Such a course, he.said, was not felt by his committee to be necessary:

If nothing happens for months employees will get " fed up " and as stale as can be. Our idea is to get an efficient guard for' each place, small in number, which can spring into action when required. ....'.. If we prepare for an emergency so that members can go immediately into action they can, in the meantime, carry out the necessary training. In short, we think that enough information will be available to allow us to inform firms of a pending emergency some hours before it arises, and that period will enable guards to be mobilised.

That seems to us to represent the realistic view, even when regard is paid to the need for complete preparedness. It seems extraordinary, indeed, that differences of method should exist at all between centres which are equally exposed to the danger of enemy attack. Administration would be easier, and certainly less confusing to the public mind, if the principles to be adopted for the safeguarding of property against fire were laid down on a national basis.