FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT

Southland Times, Issue 24575, 25 October 1941, Page 8

FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT

Provision May Be Compulsory (P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 24. Compulsory installation of first-aid fire-fighting equipment can be required of owners of buildings in vulnerable areas, under the Emergency Reserves Corps Regulations 1941, which were Gazetted yesterday. The occupiers of such buildings and their employees can also be required to provide personnel to operate such equipment and to undergo training for any such service. An explanation of the regulations was given by the Minister of National Service (the Hon. R. Semple), who said it had been found in England that the compulsory provision of first-aid firefighting equipment and personnel in buildings in vulnerable areas, enabling fires to be dealt with in their incipient stages, was the only effective method of combating modern air attack. “The corps now consists of the Emergency Precautions Services, the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, the Emergency Fire Service, and the emergency traffic police,” said Mr Semple, “and the provisions of the new regulations, so far as concerns the establishment, enrolment, discharge, and conditions of service, uniforms and equipment, and delegation of powers, have been made common to all branches. The age restriction has been removed, making it competent for organizations to enrol as legal members young people such as Girl Guides and Boy Scouts, who are required to act as runners and messengers. The new clauses provide for: “(1) The establishment of an emergency traffic on rural roads during an emergency. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES “(2) The establishment of Government emergency precautions services to enable State activities such as railways and telegraphs, and others, to

organize internal protective measures to ensure continuity of essential services in times of emergency. These State services will in no way detract from the splendid work being done by local authorities. “(3) The compulsory fire protection of buildings situated in vulnerable areas, whereby the chairman of an emergency precautions service may be authorized by the Government to require the owners of such buildings to provide first-aid fire-fighting equipment, and occupiers and employees to provide personnel to operate such equipment. “The latter provision,” said the Minister, “is of the utmost importance from the standpoint of protecting buildings, particularly from possible attack by an enemy using incendiary bombs. So favourable have been the results of the compulsory system obtaining in England that the Government makes no apology for its adoption in this country. The equipment required to be installed by the owners will consist in the main of bucket pumps. To ensure that the cost of the pump to the public will be kept as low as possible, the Government has made arrangements for its manufacture under large quantity contracts, and for its sale through local authorities at manufacturing cost, plus 10 per cent. Under this arrangement it is hoped units will be procurable at between £4 and £5 each. MUST BE PREPARED “It is freely admitted,” concluded the Minister, “that by reason of our isolation the degree of air attack which can be expected in this country cannot possibly approximate that being experienced in the United Kingdom; but it must be remembered that with our limited resources it is not possible to establish anti-aircraft or fire-fighting defence on anything approaching the scale obtaining in the Old Country. Any aircraft operating against this country would have to be seaborne; but such craft can carry large numbers of incendiary bombs. Unless we have an adequate system of dealing with the resultant fires in the incipient stages, heavy damage will be inflicted on our shipping, manufactures, and closely populated areas should we unfortunately be subjected to such a type of attack. The possibility is there, and we must be prepared for it.”