FIRE PROTECTION AT HOSPITALS

Southland Times, Issue 24524, 27 August 1941, Page 4

FIRE PROTECTION AT HOSPITALS

PROVISION MADE IN INVERCARGILL HAZARDS ELIMINATED The opinion that the Southland Hospital Board and its executive officers were most anxious to make all possible provision for the protection of hospital buildings, patients and staff from the risk of fire was expressed by the superintendent of the City Fire Brigade (Mr F. Simpson) yesterday. In reply to inquiries by The Southland Times, he said he had had numerous consultations with the board’s architect (Mr A. C. Ford), the medical superintendent (Dr Howard Hunter) and the matrons of the different institutions about fire protection and recommendations submitted to the board had been adopted. The inquiries were prompted by the report published yesterday that there were no arrangements for fire drill at the Auckland Hospital. The Kew Hospital fire in August 1939 had given a lesson of the possibility of fire, Mr Simpson said. It had been believed by the architect of the building that it was virtually fireproof, but the long chance had come off and substantial damage had been done. When the building was being repaired, important alterations were made to minimize fire risk. The roof was divided into smaller sections to prevent the spread of any fire and the attic in which the fire originated was reconstructed in concrete. Throughout the building known fire hazards were eliminated. A special alarm system communicating direct with the fire station was installed.

Opportunity was being taken of repair work at the Dee Street Hospital to reduce risks and improve fire-fight-ing facilities there also. Some years ago a chute was constructed so that bedridden patients could be wheeled out from the first-floor wards, and the doorways had been widened so that tile beds could be wheeled through more quickly. Hydraulic hose reels were now being installed inside the hospital and could be used by the staff if a fire occurred. NEW ESCAPES AT LORNE A careful inspection was recently made of Lome Farm and a chute erected there to facilitate the quick removal of patients, if it became necessary. Doorways had been widened also. Fire escapes for the benefit of the staff had recently been authorized and would be constructed as soon as possible. Fire drill for the hospital staffs was difficult to arrange, Mr Simpson said. The nurses worked in different shifts and it was not possible to bring the whole staff together for drill at one time. The shifts were interchangeable, and any elaborate system would probably break down in an emergency because certain individuals were not available at the time of a fire for thenparticular duties. The staffs were instructed in the use of fire extinguishers, which were provided at various points in the buildings for incipient outbreaks, and regular inspections were made by the brigade of these extinguishers. The nurses were counselled to keep their heads in any emergency and obey the instructions which they might receive. “The nurses had their opportunity to show their capacity for dealing with an emergency at the Kew Hospital fire and they did splendidly,” Mr Simpson said. “The speed with which they evacuated the patients from the building was an object lesson. The discipline of the nurses on which I feel sure we can always rely, combined with the additional safeguards which have now been provided, should allay any fears which might exist that all is not being done to protect the institutions, the patients, the nurses and the domestic staff from fire risks.’