WAS BRIGADE LATE IN GETTING TO PAPANUI FIRE ?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 11

WAS BRIGADE LATE IN GETTING TO PAPANUI FIRE ?

SERIOUS DELAY ALLEGED BY RESIDENT.

The length of time that elapsed between the giving of the alarm for the fire that occurred at 19, St James Avenue, Pa'panui, and the arrival of the brigade, has been the subject of some comment by Papanui residents.

It is stated that the fire was discovered at 11.54 p.m. and that the brigade were notified from a private telephone within a minute of the discovery. After particulars were given of the street and the fact that a large twostcrey dwelling was in flames, the man on duty at the fire brigade station inquired whether the house from which the message was sent was in the same street as the fire. The name and address of the person giving the message were also demanded. This information was given and the man who discovered the fire, together with the %nan who telephoned the brigade, then went across the road and watched the blaze for over ten minutes. The brigade did not arrive dur irg that time, and one of the men then ran back to his home. While he was inside the house he heard the brigade arrive. He states that this was over twelve minutes from the time that the alarm was given, and word came immediately afterwards that the firemen who had arrived, of whom there were two only, wanted to send a message to the headquarters station asking for assistance. A reply was received that other fire engines were on the way. The man who gave the alarm to the brigade states that he inquired why the brigade had not turned out immediately, and received a reply to t"ho effect that on the previous night, a false alarm was given over a private telephone, and the brigade was suspicious of such calls. This was borne out by the fact that seven or eight minutes after the alarm was given the brigade rang up the house and inquired if there was really a lire at the address stated. When the matter was mentioned to Mr J. R. Cameron, chairman of the Fire Board, to-day, he stated that he was not conversant with the facts, and did not know if the statements that had been made were correct. To a person watching a fire .before the arrival of the brigade the period of waiting always seemed longer than it really was, and he would like to know if the Papanui resident actually had bis watch out and checked the time accurately. The procedure was that the brigade was required to turn out immediately it was informed that l thcr'e was a fire, quite irrespective of | any doubt as to the genuineness of ! the alarm. If the St Albans station | was communicated with, the brigade would turn out with an engine, and i the headquarters station would be at once advised and would follow with j another engine. lie did not know the exact time that it would take the St All ans brigade to turn out, but he did not think it would be more than a minute and a half. It would then take another five or six minutes to reach the fire. If, however, the alarm was given to the central station, it would be immediately communicated .to the St Albans station, and both stations would Tend motors to the fire, although it would take a little longer than if the St Albans station were given the alarm direct. He would be greatly surprised if it was the practice to delay turning out,on account, of the possibility of the alarm being false, although be was aware that, the brigade had been worried a groat deal with false alarms lately. Mr C. C. Warner, Superintendent, of the Fire Brigade, declined to comment on the matter at all. He stated that he had no desire to enter into any controversy with the man who made the statements. It was ascertained subsequently that the alarm was given to the central station, and not to the St Albans station.