FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1931, BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1931 Session I-II, H-12

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1931. NEW ZEALAND.

FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1931, BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES.

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

The Inspector of Fire Brigades to the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. Office of the Inspector of Fire Brigades (Department of Internal Affairs). Sir,— Herewith I have the honour to lay before you my twenty-third annual report for the year ending 31st March, 1931. My report this year is unavoidably very much curtailed and incomplete, this being due to my retirement from the office of Inspector of Fire Brigades on the 31st idem and to the fact that the last returns from the various fire districts are not received by this Department for some two months or more after that date, making it impossible at this date to finalize any of the tables or to draw any averages or deductions.* Four new fire districts were constituted during the year —viz., Birkenhead, 13th May, 1930 ; Woodville, 30th June, 1930 ; Newmarket, 25th November, 1930 ; and Cambridge, 30th January, 1931. The following is a list of the fifty-five Fire Boards now operating : — Auckland Hastings New Plymouth Tauranga Balclutha Hawera Oamaru Te Aroha Birkenhead Hikurangi Ohakune Te Awamutu Cambridge Hokitika Onehunga Timaru Christchurch Invercargill Opotiki Waihi Dannevirke Kaiapoi Otaki Waipukurau Dargaville Kaitangata Pahiatua Wairoa Dunedin Lawrence Palmerston North Waitara Eltham Levin Petone Wanganui Feilding Masterton Port Chalmers Wellington Foxton Milton Pukekohe Westport Gisborne Mount Roskill Botorua Whangarei Greymouth Napier Taihape Woodville. Hamilton Newmarket Taumarunui Circumstances have not permitted my visiting several of the fire districts, and the following is a list of the districts and the fire brigades inspected and reported upon : — Auckland, December 15 and 16, 1930. Oamaru, February 16, 1931. Balclutha, February 10, 1931. Onehunga, December 15, 1930. Birkenhead, December 12, 1930. New Plymouth, January 21, 1931. Christchurch, February 18, 1931. Otaki, December .3, 1930. Dannevirke, September 23, 1930. Pahiatua, November 19, 1930. Dunedin, February 13 and 14, 1931. Palmerston North, January 29, 1931. Eltham, January 22, 1931. Petone, January 13, 1931. Feilding, January 19, 1931. Port Chalmers, February 14, 1931. Foxton, December 2, 1930. Pukekohe, December 10, 1930. Hamilton, February 26, 1931. Rotorua, December 18 and 19, 1930. Hastings, February 4, 1931. Taihape, October 16, 1930. Hawera, January 20, 1931. Tauranga, February 24, 1931. Invercargill, February 11, 1931. Te Awamutu, February 27, 1931. Kaiapoi, February 19, 1931. Timaru, February 17, 1931. Levin, October 15, 1930, and January 28, Waihi, February 25, 1931. 1931. Waipukurau, November 18, 1930. Masterton, November 20, 1930. Waitara, January 23, 1931. Milton, February 12, 1931. Wanganui, September 8 and 9, 1930. Mount Roskill, December 16, 1930. Woodville, September 24, 1930. Napier, February 3, 1931.

* The statistics attached to this report were prepared after the 31st March, 1931.

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During the inspection visits instruction in fire drill and in fire-prevention matters generally was given in the smaller towns. Inspections have been made and reports furnished in respect of public buildings and institutions; advice has been given to Fire Boards and local bodies in regard to the purchase of fire-station sites, planning of new fire stations, water-supply improvements, purchase of new equipment, &c. Reports nave been furnished to the Government Loans Board in regard to proposed improvements and new installations of water-supply in various towns. In accordance with instructions, a' special visit was paid to Napier and Hastings immediately following upon the outbreak of fires subsequent to the earthquake ; also, I attended throughout the arbitration proceedings in the matter of retention or otherwise, by the Wellington Fire Board, of the present Central Fire-station site. Following upon an invitation from the executive officers of the United Fire Brigades' Association, I attended their fifty-second annual conference, held at Nelson on the 9th March, and there delivered an address to the delegates dealing with fire-prevention matters generally. Whilst the conference was in session the inaugural meeting of the Incorporated Institute of New Zealand Fire Brigade Officers and Members was held, and members of the council of the institute elected. This institute has been founded with the particular object of improving the efficiency of the volunteer fire brigades, and in this respect should prove of great value to the fire service in this Dominion. I have, &c, Thos. T. Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades. The Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs.

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Miscellaneous Statistics for Fire Districts.*

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given; printing (625 copies), £i 2s. 6d.

By Authority: W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l93l. Price 3d.]

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Insurance Fires Insurances Insured Fire Loss. Uninsured Tire Loss. Average Expenditure Authorized. District. Population Companies' Number of involving on Property Total Fire Total Hre , P '™ Hre Calls. Loss of involved in Loss. Loss for Last Year ending | Year ending Year ending Income. Property, j Fires. Buildings. Contents. Buildings. Contents. Three Years. 31st March; 31st March, 31st March, [ j J I 1930. 1931. 1932. Auckland .. .. 113,600 168,827 498 215 1,031,575 32,139 81,555 325 690 114,709 22?000 > 21,500 ?u u - '• 570 2 ' 158 7 2 300 155 50 ■• •■ 205 158 320 260 210 Christchurch .. .. 89,500 120,449 340 272 162,980 11,252 7,758 827 1,330 21,167 41,748 13,850 14 300 12 600 Dannevirke .. .. 4,530 8,680 14 6 16,870 1,616 1,774 8 .. 3,398 2,069 775 710 745 DargayiHe .. .. 2,000 3,467 9 4 1,715 403 415 .. 17 835 1,871 530 522 407 £,"?" •• •■ 76 ' 420 85 > 288 476 146 593,208 11,679 12,887 173 296 25,035 30,698 15,700 16,000 15,000 am •• •• 2 > 050 2 ,434 2 2 1,650 590 .. .. 100 690 1,484 648 421 372 gilding •• •• 4,320 6,939 22 11 39,395 1,260 910 420 155 2,745 2,547 782 800 780 .. .. 1,770 1,992 10 4 1,840 390 175 6 55 626 2,702 487 491 458 Gisborne .. .. 14,200 24,307 58 26 37,960 6,866 6,139 1,946 3,607 18,558 10,905 2,200 I 2,300 2 558 Greymouth .. .. 6,180 7,666 10 8 9,930 3,162 1,200 2,200 210 6,772 14,491 1,000 I 1,000 750 Hamilton .. .. 15,400 20,868 ', 73 27 99,180 2,391 1,115 405 < 156 i 4,067 5,822 : 2,925 3,000 3,000 Hastmgst .. .. 12,000 17,158 j 52 28 34,942 4,701 3,535 795 150 I 9,181 13,831 1,708 1703 2 000 Hawera .. .. 4,700 8,237 38 j 12 28,775 482 401 23 26 932 4,272 1,275 1,283 1230 Hikurangi .. .. 1,245 1,382 2 j 2 40 40 20 60 47 223 177 154 Hokitika .. .. 2,520 ; 3,443 8 6 1,425 605 270 105 200 1,180 2,671 580 670 650 InvercargiU .. .. 20,400 25,118 117 39 100,655 11,352 4,060 57 538 16,007 11562 5,342 5,830 5 510 Kala P Q1 •• •• i,™ 2,237 10 2 1,650 17 .. .. 17 2 518 704 560 540 Kaitangata .. .. 1,400 1,068 3 3 1,300 800 500 300 200 ■ 1,800 2*364 ! 157 130 125 Lawrence .. .. 650 741 6 4 1,080 257 270 218 130 , 875 330 100 100 100 Ifvm .. .. 2,680 4,522 11 5 6,690 1,589 873 .. .. 2,462 4,336 701 586 629 Masterton .. .. 8,600 14,330 30 | 9 15,510 3,343 1 4,548 875 2,545 I 11,311 . 4,876 1872 2 100 2 102 Mllton ■• •• l> 550 2,410 6 I 2 8,175 40 .. .. .40 15 200 200 1Q0 K£? OSkm . ll'm ! °' 286 17 4 80 ° 38 ° 25 i 5 I 41 ° 2 ' 937 i'*» ] 11S5 l '™ New Plymouth" ." u<900 ' "34 "ll ' I,'o00 | , t'llt j I'm °?, maru •■ •• 7 > 600 8 > 797 20 7 13,180 1,544 1,426 190 1,083 4,243 | 10,243 I 1455 1495 '920 ° ha k« ne •• •■ 1,470 1,249 15 11 9,925, 5,035 3,775 1,300 1,715 11,825 | 5 365 450 450 430 Onehunga .. .. 11,160 9,996 25 3 1,425 552 130 75 9 766 2 803 1,783 1620 1785 ggj** 1 •• •• 1.300 2,157 3 3 1,215 41 .. .. 109 150 1H§ ' 9 90 620 440 ° ta . k \ •• •• l> 620 2,129 4 4 1,710 415 185 105 50 755 735 314 357 313 Pahiatua .. 1,560 3,631 6 4 12,200 1,429 6,455 1,491 2,400 11,775 4,597 383 335 340 Palmerston North .. 21,000 33,965 117 43 165,224 8,790 9,282 4,113 743 22 928 17 481 4 270 4 484 4 557 £*?£, •• ■■ U '™° n ".J" 29 11 10,735 2,535 855 100 126 3,616 4,329 1945 1,789 l^65 Port Chalmers .. 2,580 2,448 4 4 3,600 520 242 100 50 912 ! 984 212 216 216 Pukekohe .. .. 2,510 3,511 7 1 .. .. .. I5 15 48 447 787 724 ot , orua •• •• , 5 > 270 7 >539 34 10 20,100 1,371 1,202 1,111 80 3,764 2,325 ! 1117 1020 997 £ aiha P e •• •• 2,500 4,353 5 2 1,450 149 191 . .. 340 34]§ 645 437 Taumarunm .. .. 2,500 3,521 9 4 2,175 98 122 .. .. 220 1 114 '640 I 500 575 ■' •• H«n o'olf I 5 ] ' 290 69 ° 500 i 300 315 | 1,805 3 742 640 I 564 626 TeAroha .. .. 2,480 3,954 8 2 1,000 462 202 I 50 .. 714 820 635 649 ' 533 TeAwamutu .. .. 1,840 3,315 5 4 4,260 600 261 180 100 1,141 923 500 460 440 SX U •' •■ l l'lll f 13 23 -° 40 '< 317 2 ' 125 ! ■■ 108 : 3,550 5,524 2,700 3.150 2,700 Z \ ■■ •• 3 ' 020 2 ' 866 35 7 I 2,840 i 325 1,474 4,025 85 5,909 3,759 731 664 715 Waipnkurau .. .. 1,970 3,451 27 10 ! 6,250 703 1,663 i 1,709 22 4,097 2 263 330 I 430 350 Wairoall .. .. 2,620 4,358 17 7 188,901 58,486 60,404 | 15,885 5,967 i 140,742 50 654 678 ! 714 700 altara . •■ •• l'S30 2,785 4 4 4,050 950 1,650 I 600 1,120 i 4,320 3 210 228 ! 277 Wanganm .. .. 25,050 35,928 148 49 j 63,430 4,235 4,632 j 460 265 , 9,592 ! 12 462 8,300 8 100 8 000 Wellington .. .. 111,500 209,283 1,065 260 | 2,094,384 25,531 30,779 1,111 1,712 ! 59,133 152 002 30 400 30 400 30*400 Westport .. .. 3,940 4,372 5 4 j 3,400 217 100 40 .. 357 3,468 800 800 '700 Whangarei .. .. 7,600 8,964 22 11 j 11,053 2,700 2,625 870 375 | 6,570 1,462 I 1,123 1,163 680,965 965,496 | 3,532 1,333 J 4,872,207 I 216,321 261,057 1 43,493 I 27,858 ! 548,729 I 564,137 \ 142,979 I 145 045 [ ~139 664^ 3 »