NEW TYPE OF TRIAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 241, 13 October 1942, Page 4

NEW TYPE OF TRIAL

EARLY-MORNING ALERT A new typo of E.P.S. trial will be staged next Saturday morning when tests for Gonville and Wanganui East units will be held simultaneously. In the past these local trials have been arranged for late morning or afternoon hours, but on Saturday it will be presumed, for the purposes of the rehearsal, that enemy aircraft are making dawn attacks on Wanganui. The time of the alert will be announced later in the week, but the alarm system will not be used. Another new departure will be the method of operations. In the past E.P.S. headquarters in the city area have acted as the centre of operations, messages by telephone and runners being dispatched to group wardens with details of “incidents ’ caused by supposed enemy action. For the coming trial, however, group wardens will receive sealed envelopes containing information which will require appropriate action. This method will more closely resemble conditions which would exist in an actual emergency. For example, if a group-warden is informed that a row of dwellings has been fired by in-

cendiaries, or that bombs have caused “casualties,” it will be his responsibility to take action which will ensure that the various E.P.S. units concerned are notified promptly. “The warden on the street will be the connecting link between the incident and the various E.P.S. services,” said the organiser, Mr. I. Manley, yesterday. E.P.S. headquaiters in the city would not be communicated with unless necessary. Fire and Medical Units located in the Wanganui East and Gonville areas will take part in the simultaneous trial, and will have the assistance of wardens attached to the Law and Order Unit. Further details will be made known later in the week.