TO-MORROW’S TRY OUT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4534, 9 February 1942, Page 4

TO-MORROW’S TRY OUT

EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS PREPARATORY PLANNING Over 50 Controllers and Wardens conferred with the Central Executive of the Te Awamutu Emergency Precautions Service Organisation on Saturday evening, when final preparatory consideration was given to the tryout which is to take place at Te Awamutu to-morrow evening. The Chief Warden, Mr L. G. Armstrong, presided. “A DEFINITE TEST” Messrs Graham Macky and H. C. Rainey, the organisers, gave an outline of the plans to be followed. It was emphasised that the try-out is not in any way a demonstration, but a definite test of the personnel and its organisation, and embraces not only the members of the E.P.S., but the whole of the residents of the town and suburbs. The day and approximate time of the alarm (shortly after 5 p.m.) is being made known beforehand for this occasion in order that there may be as nearly as possible 109 per cent attendance of E.P.S. members. The period of the alarm will be approximately one hour, and controllers are asked to see that the maximum use is made of the time to test out the organisation. The foundation of the trial will be resultant damage from an air raid. In order to give all sections a try-out, the damage will of necessity be very varied and somewhat scattered, although the major troubles will be concentrated in the central area. COMMUNICATIONS Matters -of internal organisation and procedure were dealt with in detail, and Controllers and section leaders were advised of the methods of • requisitioning personnel and supplies. On the subject of communications, it was explained that at one stage of the trial the telephone service would be presumed to have failed, leaving it for emergency systems of intercommunication to be utilised. One of the features of the test will be the operation of the telephone services, and in exchange attendance preference will be given to the telephones allotted to Controllers and Wardens. The effect will be that other .calls on the Exchange may remain unattended while the pressure of official calls continues. In fact, the public effect of the try-out is an indication of the fact that during the period of alarm people are expected to refrain from using the telephone except for very urgent and necessary messages. THE ALARM The procedure laid down is that the Chief Warden will instruct the post office to give the alarm shortly after- 5 p.m., and the various alarm stations will be advised accordingly. The alarm is a series of short blasts over a period of two minutes. Controllers and their deputies will take up their appointed stations, and when a minimum staff is assembled, headquarters will be advised. Action will be commenced at several places at various times as the Wardens call for action in their respective zones. The testing will especially record the time of receiving a call and of resulting action, so that a subsequent check-up may reveal where any speeding-up of the system is necessary. STREETS TO BE CLEARED It can be explained that the streets will be cleared and that only E.P.S. workers will have access to areas in which damage is presumed to have occurred. The police section is empowered to regulate all pedestrian and other traffic., , In any case, nothing of a spectacular character is contemplated, and people are advised not to congregate. In fact, the try-out is an .opportunity enabling each householder to give effect to his own domestic planning. DOMESTIC PLANS During the week-end, Wardens have distributed booklets in which is set out the' main features of citizen preparation, and it could well be that each householder will have set out his own domestic plans by now. Tomorrow ; evening, therefore, under the (assumed emergency, the householder could very well apply the try-out to the members of his own family and so train them on the action they should take in an actual emergency. The conclusion of the try-out will be signalised by the sounding of the “all clear”—a continuous blast on the siren.