TRAINING SCHEME

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5603, 9 April 1943, Page 2

TRAINING SCHEME

EMERGENCY SERVICES LOCAL BODIES CONFER The largest meeting of local body I representatives concerned with civil 1 defence yet convened in Hamilton i was held on Wednesday, the Mayor, | Mr H. D. Caro, presiding over repre-r • sentatives from the districts between I Te Kauwhata and Mokau. The chairman, as District Control- ■ ler, explained that the Government j had recently decided that a new train- 1 ing scheme should be adopted in what ; were classified as vulnerable areas. 1 The only part of the No. 2 district j coming under this classification was Hamilton borough. Before the new training commenced the E.P.S. personnel had to be regrouped into what would be called front-line personnel, while the remainder would be classed as reserves. The training course was compulsory for front-line units only. They would be required to put in 30 ’ hours over a six months period, arranged as weekly parades. No compulsory training scheme was laid ! down for the rest of the district, and i it was left to each District Controller ! to arrange for his own district. POSSIBLE COURSES Mr Caro outlined three possible j courses for adoption, and asked for i comment. The first suggestion was ! for the outer area to adopt the same j training scheme as was provided I‘or ( the cities and vulnerable areas. If j the scheme were unsuitable, an alter- : native one could be formulated. > Thirdly, the district could decide that I its personnel was already sufficently : trained and therefore additional training was unnecessary.

After discussion the meeting adopted the second suggestion, providing for the district developing its own training scheme, using the warden's handbook as a basis ef ; . ■■ u struct ion to all unit s, : organised attempt be made t) ke p j contact with the personnel. ! lacb ! control committee would make sc ; issue of i : requesting Giat partit iai : | made of the* subjects i of the training scheme set down for | vulnerable areas. Unit parades! should be held at intervals of, say. ! two months, to check on the unit I strength, residential details, and se - j vice ability of the personnel, and ; • i check the amount ( the handbook. These unit- parades would terminate and the schema be reviewed at the end of six months. ADVANTAGES OF SCHEME Points in favour of that scheme were explained. It maintained contact with personnel and gave a definite assurance of the organisation I being in existt position deteriorate. through the handbook' the .funda '.w-n- { tals of all training required *■;. r; E.P.S. person general course designed’fur Ju wo-’ nerable areas. It did not requi c aux | adjustment to numb or strength of units, thereby avoidii’g ■ the damaging effects of a to regroup the personnel. It did net ! require weekly parades, with their transport difficulties, while it avoided the difficulty of obtaining sufficient voluntary instruction. It was sufficiently flexible to apply to both rural and urban areas in the district, thus giving a universal basis for the whole district.