FIRE SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25309, 20 August 1943, Page 4

FIRE SERVICE

THE EMERGENCY SCHEME DETAILS OF MODIFICATIONS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 19. In accordance wih the recently-an-nounced statement of Government policy, the Minister of Civil Defence, Mr D. Wilson, has issued an amendment to the Emergency Fire Service Order. It provides for'the holding of one compulsory two-hour parade each calendar month, and for the billeting of personnel between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. for weekly periods not more often than one week in five.' In an interview to-day the Minister said that the billeting system which was introduced after Japan entered the war was for the purpose of ensuring the immediate response of the fire-fighting personnel in the event of a surprise raid. During 1942 approximately 500 men were on duty throughout the four main centres at night at various billets. “Now that the possibility of a surprise raid can be regarded as unlikely,” the Minister said, ‘“the necessity for maintaining billets on such a scale has ceased. Other factors, however, including the use of this country as a war base, justified the retention of a modified billeting scheme. To provide protection for such important items as temporary stores, offices, hospitals, war industries, and irreplaceable stocks of reserve materials, senior fire brigade officers have recommended an increase in the pre-war strength of the metropolitan brigades to deal with night fires. The Government, therefore, feels that it is necessary to make provision requiring the E.F.S. to meet this situation by undertaking a limited scale of billeting duty." Mr Wilson said that although the new order provided that the men might be called out not more than one week in five, it was contemplated that in general they would not be required more often than one week in seven or eight.