FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION. APPENDIX TO THE REPORT BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1917.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1917 Session I, H-06b

EL—6b

1917. NEW ZEALAND.

FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION. APPENDIX TO THE REPORT BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1917.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Inspector of Fibe Brigades to the Hon. the Minister op Internal Affairs. Office of Inspector of Fire Brigades, Sir,— Wellington, 20th August, 1917. Herewith I have the honour to submit an analysis relative to the fires reported as having occurred throughout the fire districts for the year ended 30th June, 1917, together with the following tables: — (1.) Summary of calls attended by each brigade. (2.) Fire loss in each district. (3.) Annual cost of each brigade. (4.) Summary of the causes of fires in each district. (5.) Personnel and equipment of each brigade. Nine new circuits with eighty-two new call-boxes have been added to the street fire-alarm installations. Only two new auto-detector fire-alarm installations have been put in during the twelve months. The total number of calls received by the brigades throughout the fire districts was 775, as against 749 for the previous year, an increase of 26. There has been a decrease in the number of actual fires, 421 (457), decrease 36, as also in "out of district" fires, 28 (26), decrease 2; but an increase under other headings—viz., chimney fires, 62 (57), increase 5 ; bush and rubbish fires, 82 (54), increase 28; false alarms, 184 (153), increase 31. Of the 421 fires 9 are reported as due to incendiarism, 6 as very suspicious, 10 occurred in unoccupied premises, and 156 as of unknown origin. Losses throughout the fire districts: The heaviest district losses occurred in Auckland (£33,445), Hamilton (£26,967), and Hastings (£24,315); the total loss for the twelve months ended 30th'June amounting to £142,176, as against £99,271 for the previous twelve months, an increase of £42,905. Losses throughout the Dominion : The insured loss throughout the Dominion for the year ended 31st December, 1916, was £402,373. Following the same line of deduction as adopted in previous years, and adding 33J per cent, to the ascertained insurance loss so as to arrive at the approximate fire waste, the total loss for the year ended 31st December, 1916, is thus shown to amount to £536,497, a decrease for the year of £86,060 as compared with the average waste per year for the previous eight years—that is, since 31st December, 1907. The losses throughout the fire districts and the losses throughout the Dominion quoted above are each for a term of twelve months, but ending at different periods of the year ; and the insured loss for the simultaneous twelve months ended 31st December, 1916, is for the Dominion £402,373, and for the fire districts £92,055, or 22-88 per cent, of the total loss. I have, &c, Thos. T. Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades. The Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs.

I_H. Ob.

H.—6b.

1. Summary of Fire Calls.

2. Summary of Fire Losses.

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District. Fires. Chimney Fires. Bush, Grass, and Rubbish Fires. False Alarms. Out of District. Totals. I Auckland .. Christchurch Dannevirke. . Dunedin Feilding Gisborne Greymouth.. Hamilton .. Hastings Hawera Hokitika 95 76 1 106 4 14 8 10 11 7 2 ' 95 76 1 106 4 14 8 10 11 7 2 j 14 9 i 1 33 1 1 14 9 1 33 1 1 ! I J L L 13 17 29 1 1 1 13 17 59 67 59 67 36 4 3 4 7 1 185 176 3 204 7 18 9 11 12 15 2 29 1 36 4 2 1 1 3 i 3 Lawrence .. Masterton . . Milton New Plymouth Oamaru Palmerston North Petone 10 16 3 21 8 10 1 2 8 8 3 5 1 1 1 18 16 3 21 8 2 5 8 5 9 1 2 3 19 4 5 1 1 1 1 1 2 30 11 4 6 23 9 9 Rotorua 2 1 2 10 3 Tauranga .. Timaru Whangarei .. Woolston .. 5 8 5 9 1 2 10 3 3 1 Totals 421 62 82 184 26 775 I l_

District. Insured. Uninsured. Totals. Auckland Christchurch Dannevirke Dunedin Fielding Gisborne £ 33,109 8,007 £ 336 1,161 £ 33,445 9,168 Greymouth Hamilton Hastings Hawera Hokitika 13,002 165 2,238 1,377 11,033 17,280 347 417 2,983 5 590 411 15,934 7,035 27 50 15,985 170 2,828 1,788 26,967 24,315 374 467 Lawrence Masterton Milton New Plymouth ... Oamaru Palmerston North Petone Eotorua Taurunga Timaru Whangarei Woolston 109 5,010 190 6,074 170 11 7,335 2.93 300 470 376 2,105 465 222 485 7,115 190 6,539 392 11 10,375 381 302 879 3,040 88 2 409 Totals 106,937 35,239 142,176

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H.-6b

3. Cost of Fire Brigade (Capital Expenditure included). As taken from the Estimates for the respective Years.

<2—H. 6b.

Distriot. Year ending 30th June, 1914. Year ending 30th June, 1915. Year ending 30th June, 1916. Year ending 30th June, 1917. Year ending 30th June, 1918. Auckland Dhristchurch ... Dannevirke Dunedin Feilding olisborne 3-reymouth Eamilton Bastings Eawera Eokitika £ s. d. 10,110 0 0 9,000 0 0 881 3 5 7,000 0 0 612 10 0 789 10 3 964 0 0 300 0 0 1,146 0 0 617 16 0 433 6 8 75 0 0 1,150 0 0 120 0 0 1,098 1 3 340 0 0 1,842 9 1 847 16 10 419 10 0 £ s. d. 10,256 0 0 8,000 0 0 612 6 9 7,000 0 0 683 11 0 763 0 0 864 0 0 850 0 0 1,105 0 0 767 0 0 433 6 8 60 0 0 1,151 1 4 100 0 0 1,098 1 3 370 0 0 1,939 3 4 1,076 11 9 614 0 0 £ s. d. 10,811 0 0 7,210 0 0 639 16 1 7,000 0 0 544 11 2 1,125 0 0 844 0 0 600 0 0 1,287 0 0 647 5 10 460 0 0 80 0 0 1,246 18 0 110 0 0 1,200 0 0 477 0 0 1,685 19 0 880 13 7 752 7 0 655 6 8 1,450 0 0 500 0 0 £ a. d. 10,585 0 0 6,900 0 0 819 9 4 8,000 0 0 573 11 9 1,620 13 0 878 0 0 350 0 0 1,125 0 0 744 0 0 366 13 4 60 0 0 1,026 7 2 100 0 0 1,500 0 0 770 0 0 1,364 12 5 870 0 0 794 0 0 444 12 11 1,810 0 0 550 0 0 914 4 0 £ a. d. 11,700 0 0 7,000 0 0 251 9 9 8,500 0 0 354 0 0 958 5 10 888 0 0 1,450 0 0 1,300 0 0 374 0 0 346 13 4 60 0 0 931 13 0 90 0 0 1,380 0 0 550 0 0 1,400 7 4 Not available. 807 0 0 315 11 6 1,350 0 0 550 0 0 776 2 2 Lawrence Masterton Milton Slew Plymouth ... Damaru Palmerston North Petone Rotorua rauranga rimaru Whangarei Woolston 1,500' 0 0 480 0 0 2,825" 0 0 600 0 0 Totals ... 39,927 3 6 41,368 2 1 40,336 17 4 42,166 3 11 41,333 2 11

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4. Summary of Causes.

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Cause. •o a ! CO •a § n 4 I g Em I o .1) .»! 4 o a a' 1 I o Si (a .a -2 .s I 3 I a 13 ft 33 -8 ft cj cS O OS <D H H H 3 £ 2 I o I a3 § O S Ph § I 5 _£ p u H "<3 I d en o o is 3 Ashes, live Birds' nests under eaves Benzine, proximity to lights ,, vapour, proximity to lights „ explosions, &c. Candles, drapery, &c, in contact Clothes airing before fire Defective building.. „ chimneys, hearths ,, hot-water services Electricity, fusing of wires .. „ overheating clothes-iron .. „ spark from switch Gas, defective fittings ,, explosion „ rings, stoves . . Ignition, kapoc .. '.. '. .. „ picture-films >. . „ sulphur Incendiarism, or suspected Kerosene-lamp explosions „ lamps knocked over „ heaters overheated Lime, slaking Matches, children with „ rata „ thrown down alight Methylated spirits, explosion Naked lights Overheating beeswax, fat, &c. „ bearings ,, tar „ wood, proximity furnaces ,, vulcanizing-ovons Painters burning off paint Refraction, sun's rays Smoking „ cigarette, butts Soldering-iron Sparks from chimneys „ copper-fires „ fireplaces „ furnaces „ stoves and ranges „ other fires Spontaneous combustion Testing automtaic alarms Vagrants Unknown '2 1 16 2 i '7 i 2 i i 1 1 2 1 1 5 i 5 1 1 i 1 "2 "2 3 6 8 2 2 2 1 3 2 1 6 i 1 5 3 i i '2 i '2 i 1 i '2 "2 1 i 2 i i 1 1 2 2 i i i 1 9 1 12 " I 26 7 1 20 2 11 3 1 3 4 7 2 4 1 9 2 3 2 1 7 2 14 2 2 7 4 9 9 2 3 3 9 2 2 3 19 5 I n 4 1 8 1 1 156 i 1 10 I '2 '2 1 3 3 "i i 1 i 1 i 3 2 '2 5 i 1 3 1 1 'i i 6 1 1 1 4 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 10 "2 i 2 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 "2 i 2 "1 i i 4 i '4 "\ 49 35 2 '5 3 '7 '7 i 2 9 i '9 3 A 2 i 6 Totals .. 95 76 1 106 4 14 10 11 7 2 10 16 3 21 8 2 5 8 5 9 421

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5. Summary.—Personnel, Plant, and Appliances.

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Auckland. Christchurch. Dannevirke. Dunedin. Fending. Gisborne. Greymouth. Hamilton. Hastings. Hawera. Hokitika. Lawrenoe. Brigades, total strength of Fire-stations, residential „ non-residential.. Fire-alarms —(C.) circuits, (B.) boxes .. „ Automatic, private Telephones, points Horses Motors, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) 73 5 2 35 C, 239 B. 14 Tel. 33 3 16 C, 104 B. 25 Tel. 18 93 24 1 2 1 1 5 1 8 C, 80 B. 28 Tel. Tel. 5 '.'. 1 (15) 1 (20) 3 (75, 60, 28) 16 1 5 100 1(50) 20 5 4 1 (on hire) : ! 32 23 1 1 1 10 3 ! 21 1 1 3 C, 14 B. Tei. 1 (35) 30 10 5 i .. 8 .. 1 (on hire) 8 (2-45, 4-40, 1-38, 1-20) 1(12) „ chemical, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) „ pump, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) .. 1(110)800 gal. 3 (40, 40, 14) 2 (70) 500 gal., (55) 400 gal. 1 (30) 1(60)400 gaL „ first-aid pump, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) „ electric, ladder (height) Fire-engines, steam (gallons) „ manual (gallons) Chemical engines, hand-drawn (gallons) Hose carts, reels, horse-drawn „ „ hand-drawn Ladders, horse-drawn (height) „ motor-traction (height) ,, extension (height) .. „ single and coupling (totallengtb) Jumping-sheets (square feet) Smoke-jackets (J.), helmets (H.) Hand-pumps Hand chemical extincteurs Stand-pipes, ratchet valves .. „ double heads „ single heads Hose, rubber -lined (diameter) „ unlined (diameter) Water-supply (G. = gravitation) Pressure, average, noon—midnight 1 (87') 1 (450) 3 1 (60') 2 (44') 8 (216') 5 (10' x 10') 2H. 5 4 15 2(260, 450) 2 1 (65') 2 (45', 42') 26 4(9'x9') 1 J., 1 H. 5 6 1 19 3 (60, 60, 60) 1(84') 2 5 2 1 (80') 3 (on motors) 5(105') 4(72') 8(105') l(12'xl2') 1 J., 1 H. 2 3 1 1 10 2 13 6 8 6 1 1 (600) 1(100) 2 1 (40') 7(155') IE 1 8 2 1 (600) 1(60) 6 1 (30') 4 (81') 1 (10' x 10') 1 9 1 1 (600) 1(80) 3 2 .. on motor 1 (40') 7 (140') 7 (168') 2 (12' x 14') 3 •• 1 (30') 6 (111') 1 (380) 2(80,80) 5 "2 5 (99') 2 (54') 1 2 1 1 1 6 6 1 2 2 1 5 2 2 1 2 1 5 1 2 9 12,400' (2}') G. 5-120 2,200' (2f") 9,000' (2f") G. 95-105 .. 2,200' (2i") 12,600' (2f) 3,100' (2J") G. ' G. G. 80-88 115-130 85-100 3,000' (2J") G. 90 5,000' (2\°) G. 85-100 4,500 (2J") : 3,000' (2|") G G 35-42 120-130 3,000' (2|") G. 55-80 3,000' (2f*) 1,200' (2£*) G G 100-105 70-80 I

H.—6b.

5. Summary.—Personnel, Plant, and Appliances— continued.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,100 copies), £8.

Authority : Marcus F. Marks, Government Pi-inter, Wellington.—l9l?.

Price 6d.]

6

Masterton. Milton. New Plymouth. Oamaru. Palmerston North. Petone. Eotorua. Tauranga. Tiinara. Whangarei. Woolston. Totals. I I ! Brigades, total strength of Fire-stations, residential „ non-residential Fire-alarms —(C.) circuits, (B.) boxes .. „ Automatic, private Telephones, points Horses Motors, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) „ chemical, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) „ pump, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) .. „ first-aid pump, hose-and-ladder (h.p.) „ electric, ladder (height) Fire-engines, steam (gallons) „ manual (gallons) Chemical engines, hand-drawn (gallons) Hose carts, reels, horse-drawn „ „ hand-drawn Ladders, horse-drawn (height) „ motor-traction (height) ,, extension (height) „ single and coupling (total length) Jumping-sheets (square feet) Smoke-jackets (J.), helmets (H.) Hand-pumps Hand chemical extincteurs Stand-pipes, ratchet valves .. „ double heads „ single heads Hose, rubber-lined (diameter) ,, unlined (diameter) Water-suppy (G. = gravitation) 26 1 1 5 C, 12 B. Tel. 2 14 30 1 2 2 '. . Tel. 1 (60) 400 gal. 23 1 1 10 1 22 2 1 Tel. 1 (55) 350 gal. 24 19 1 1 2 2 C, 10 B. 3 Tel. 8 1 (30') 1 (45') 18 • 23 19 1 1 1 1 .. 2 6 0., 22 B. 1 B. 1 TeL 6 1 (is') 1(60) 400 gal. '.'. 3 1 3 6 1 TeL 1 (40') 617 30 37 75 C. 482 B. 71 165 6 16 9 3 1 (350) i (50) :: 1 (50) 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 7 6 1 5 61 1 2 20 136 18 10 45 46 39 103 56 2,200 90,180 4 .. •• .. 7 (105') 2 1 2 4 5 on motor 3(56') 5(108') l(12'xl2') i 3 2 4 1 8 4 1 (20') 2 (40') 1H. 1 1 1 3 2 on motor 6 (97') 1 (12'xl2') 2 5 4 on motor 7 (62') 6 (85') l(8'x8') l(ll'xll') 1 H. 2 1 2 3 1 i 6 5 1 (36') on motor 1 (50') 2 (49') 8 (170') 1 (30') l(12'xl2') 1 H. 2 12 3 .. 1 2 4 3.. 1 2 3 on motor ~2 " 3,000'(2i") G. 300' (2') 4,000' (2Y) Wells and G. tanks 100-125 2,800' (21°) G. 100-140 5.600' (2D G. 60-100 .. 4,380 V (2i") 1,500 V (2£") G. " G. 60-70 48-51 2,000' (2£") 3,000' (2J') 1,600' (2|') G. G. G. 70-110 70-75 160-168 1 * f > water- ■{ J supply [_ Pressure, average, noon—midnight 85-92