POLICE TRAINEES

Southland Times, Issue 23345, 1 November 1937, Page 6

POLICE TRAINEES

LIFE-SAVING EXPERIENCE THOUGHT NECESSARY (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 30. The opinion that it was very necessary that trainees in the Police Force and in training colleges should be qualified life-savers was expressed at a conference of the New Zealand branch of the Life-Saving Society. The appalling number of drownings in New Zealand was referred to and the urgency of action being taken was emphasized. Auckland delegates said that in England all police trainees took the bronze medallion examination and the central executive of the society had even gone to the trouble of designing a special uniform badge for a medallion to be worn by policemen. In Australia all police trainees were required to pass the bronze medallion examination or its equivalent. A motion was carried to approach the Minister of Justice (the Hon. H. G. R, Mason) with a view that New Zealand trainees should be required to hold a bronze medallion or its equal. A similar resolution was carried about the school-teaching profession, where teachers were physically able to take the examination. The conference noted with pleasure the Minister’s intention to assist the Royal Life-Saving Society and took the opportunity of urging on the Government the necessity for providing instruction in life-saving and resuscitation to all secondary school pupils.