FIRE BRIGADES’ ASSOCIATION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 109, 21 February 1950, Page 3

FIRE BRIGADES’ ASSOCIATION

CONFERENCE AT REEFTON (P.A.) -GREYMOUTI-I, Feb. 20. The setting up of the Fire Service Council, representing all local authorities, was outlined by Mr W. Girling Butcher, chairman of the Fire Services Council at the United Fire Brigades’ Association’s conference at Reefton to-day. Pie said an officer would »be appointed to investigate the working conditions of district brigades and make recommendations to the council. It would be two years before the proposed rural fire protection scheme would be in operation, and in the meantime the district brigades would continue to give aid to towns as long as it did not affect their own fire service. “The whole idea is to create a national fire service that will be controlled by local brigades,” he said. It was also intended to provide insurance to cover all firemen under the conditions of the Workers’ Compensation Act. All recommendations by firemen would receive the consideration of the council. Regarding the division between volunteer and part-time firemen,, Mr. Butcher said a settlement had been made equitable to both parties, at least a compromise between both viewpoints. The council’s business would not affect industrial brigades. As regards finance, the council agreed to give not more than £IOO to country brigades in need of money. The Fire Service Act provided for most of the requirements for service. It did not interfere with the traditions of the service, but was designed chiefly to give country brigades the same* benefits as city brigades. “If we co-operate we can bring the service to a very high standard of efficiency,” said Mr Butcher. The Accident Assurance Society at its sSth annual meeting, elected the following officers:—President, Station Officer T. R. Heiglnvay (Onehunga); vice-president. Fireman R. Orr (Cromwell); superintendent, Mr T. J. Dowdell (Hawera); secretary, Captain T. J. Watts (Newmarket); treasurer-sec-retary, Mr C. A. Osborne (Onehunga).