TRIAL MOBILISATON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 63, 16 March 1942, Page 4

TRIAL MOBILISATON

WANGANUI FIRE UNITS PROMPT RESPONSE TO ( ALL Emergency precautions lire personnel in Wanganui responded quickly when a trial mobilisation of all units was held in the city and suburbs on , Saturday afternoon. 'Die men -were ■ instructed ’io leave their homes anil report to allocated duty stations the I moment they heard the time signal I broadcast from 2YA Wellington, at! two o’clock. When all personnel had 1 assembled at their posts, group load- | ers dispatched messengers to head- j quarters at the Central Fire Station, 1 giving details of the time taken to • muster. A feature of the mobilisation wa> a realistic demonstration of the best : methods of dealing with incendiary I bombs, held on Cook’s Garden.*. ■■ While the chairman of the Wanganui Fire Board, Mr. G. P. Hawkins gav-: a running commentary, the brig;-1 • 1 superintendent. Mr. N. M. Ross, ig- ’ niied an incendiary bomb and lire I sticks. subsequently extinguishing; the flames with water, or sand. 11 ' was the first public demonstration of I this kind hold in Wanganui. Units which paraded were the I E.P.S. Motor-car Patrol, Emergency 1 Fire Service, under the divisional I officer. Mr. W. V. Tremewan Fire Brigade Auxiliary Unit, and also the Boys’ Brigade, members of which ret-1 ed as mesiengrrs. Certain sections! were inspected at their posts by Mr.' Hawkins. Superintendent Ross, the) Mayor, Flon. W. J. Rogers. M.L.C.. I who is also chairman of the Wanga- i nui E.P.S. executive, the secretary. Mr. C. R. White, the organiser. Mr. A. G. Seivewright. and Mr. -I. B. G. I Bradley Burma, who is assisting at E.P.S. headquarters. Two groups, one of 13 men and another with 14 wore on parade in - ven minutes, and a further group of 22 men assembled in seven ar I a- ; half minutes. The time taken 1 ce-i liver messages varied according lo , 'he distance of the assembly point j from Central Station, but a message from Castlecliff was delivered in -4 minutes. Praise for the way in which the men had mobilised, and their smartness on parade, was expressed later by officials. When all groups had later assembled at Cook's Gardens Mr. : Hawkins explained that the purpose j of thp demonstration was to educate' people how to deal with incendiary j bombs. In lhe event of a raid on Wanganui citizens would play an imnoriant nart n protecting property. °eople were also asked to provide ire-1 i:dit ioouipment at their homes •’iul business premises. Wooden ••akes. shovels and sand should be • eadv for immediate us n . The first -mil ? ah ■ I fallen ”as the critieial period. The bomb ■nus' be dealt with immediately. With two fire-slicks and an incen’>rv bomb of the type used bv the B-itish. Superintendent Ross demon•'rated how these weapons could bn 'landlod after they had ignited. He •■iso showed th° most effective way : n which sand and water could be usod. A pile of wooden boxes on the oval was subseouentlv fired with an incendiary bomh. and when well alight it was extinguished by bucket pumps. Two fire-nngines from Central Sta*ion and three auxiliary pumps attached to the E.P.S.. subsequently ,r avp a numping demonstration at the Town Wharf. Between them, these units poured out nine streams of water.