FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 229, 27 September 1928, Page 10

FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

EX-FIREMAN'S ADMISSIONS.

JOKE PLAYED AT SOCIAL.

"On the first "occasion," said Chief Detective Carroll, "accused, who was at that time a member of the New Brighton Fire Brigade, gave an alarm from a box. H» thought there was a ecrub fire, but there was none. He went out with the brigade. He knew that he had been instructed, along with other firemen, not to give alarms for scrub fires unless they were pretty severe. Oh the second.Occasion accused knocked the shutter down in the fire station, denoting an alarm, and the brigade turned out. On the third occasion accused gave an alarm when a social was being held at the Fire Brigade station, and the brigade had to leave and turn out to the scene of a false alarm. Accused has admitted all the false alarms."

In the witness-box accused admitted giving the alarm on the night of the social. It was looked on as a joke* and had been dona before, and was also partly regarded as a chance to show visiting 'firemerf how smartly New Brighton could turn out. On the occaeion of the first false alarm he did not tell the superintendent that he had' given the alarm, for the scrub fire was out When the brigade got there, and he was afraid that he would get into trouble. The knocking of . the eliutter in the station was a pure accident.