FIRE ESCAPES MUST BE ERECTED IN CITY BUILDINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18182, 15 June 1927, Page 8

FIRE ESCAPES MUST BE ERECTED IN CITY BUILDINGS.

BOARD MAKES BY-LAW TO COVER POSITION.

Following on receipt of a letter from a city business firm drawing attention to the need for the provision of fire escapes on buildings not already within the scope of the City Council’s by-law dealing with the matter, the Christchurch Fire Board, as its meeting last night, decided to instruct its solicitor to prepare a by-law giving it power to require owners of buildings to provide fire escapes in accordance with section 60 of the Fire Brigades Act, 1926. The matter was brought forward as the result of a letter from Messrs R. T. Tosswill and Co., relative to the need for fire escapes in Hereford Court building. The letter stated that there were no fire escapes, no fire extinquishers and no water to deal with accidental outbreaks in the building, and asked the board to use its power under the Fire Brigades Act, 1926, before a disaster occurred. The chairman (Mr J. R. Cameron) said it appeared that a by-law was necessary to deal with that class of case. What had been holding the matter up was that they were waiting for the result of the Fire Boards' Conference which would not be held until August. Mr K. S. Robinson said he thought the board should have some say in the matter of erecting fire escapes. Mr E. H. Andrews: The City Council has a by-law' dealing with fire escapes. The chairman said that the matter was referred to the City Council on a previous occasion, the council replied that it had no power to order the erection of fire escapes except in cases where people slept on the premises. The secretary (Mr C. J. Treleaven) said that if the matter were held over until the conference it might be found that a by-law suitable for one district was not suitable for another. The chairman: If we make a by-law now we will have something to put before the conference. Mr H. R. Rushbridge said that if the City Council had a by-law dealing with fire escapes in a certain class of building, it could be extended to include other buildings. Fie asked if a by-law made by the board would over-ride the City Council by-law'. The chairman replied that the buildings within the scope of the City Council by-law could be exempted from the board’s by-law. The secretary said that the City Council’s by-law applied only to buildings such as hotels, boarding houses and premises where people resided. The board had power to make a by-law that w'ould apply to all buildings. Mr Robinson moved:—“That the board’s solicitor be instructed to prepare a by-law giving the board power to require owners of buildings to provide fire escapes in accordance with section 60 of the Fire Brigades Act, 1926, such by-law to exclude premises already coming within the scope of the Christchurch City Council’s by-law dealing with fire escapes.” The motion was seconded by Mr E. D. M’llraith and carried.