A.R.P. NEGLECT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 221, 17 September 1940, Page 9

A.R.P. NEGLECT.

CHARGE IS DENIED. SYDNEY PREPARATIONS. (By Air.) SYDNEY, Sept. 14. Some interesting and most important indications of the extent of A.R.P. preparations in Sydney were revealed this week by the State Minister in charge of National Emergency Services (Mr. Bruxner) in reply to a charge by the official A.L.P. candidate for Barton in the Federal election (Dr. Evatt, K.C., former High Court judge) that the Federal Government was guilty of criminal neglect in the organisation of air-raid precautions. Actually this work by agreement was delegated to the States. Mr. Bruxner said: "Sixty thousand persons have been trained in N.E.S. and emergency A.R.P. work; there are 4000 instructors, and municipal employees all know what to do in an emergency. We have completed, in an almost invulnerable position, in a secret control room in the heart of the. N.E.S. organisation, a telephonic system that will meet any emergency. Telephones have been installed to enable us to receive the warning of an air-raid from the military authorities, and at that moment we will set oft" secretly installed switches controlling the air-raid sirens, and notify j the lire brigades, ambulances, electricity and all other essential services of the emergency. Points have also been installed to enable the linking of every municipality in the Sydney, Newcastle and Port Kembla districts with the con-trol-room, to which, while the raid is on, will come progress reports from every area. And every municipality, which has a big organisation, has its trained clerks ready to deal with casualty, rescue, fire, demolition, water, sewerage and electricity work. "Wardens have been trained to send immediate reports to these clerks, who will be in readiness at their posts, so that the organisation wiil function swiftly and surely from the outbreak of a raid. Then the reports will be forwarded to the vital control-room of National Emergency Services. If the ■ telephone system breaks down, motor cycles will be ready to carry the messages. "In the control-room we have also installed a complete system of maps, to enable officers to know the extent of the damage and the areas where attack is being made. Each warden has a map of his area, and the staff clerks will plot' the damage. This control-room is 60 located that it could be destroyed only if the city were razed to the ground. "Plans have been prepared for the opening of the underground railway for the protection of the public, and materials have been cut and stored for providing aprons to protect the public in the streets against splinters and concussion. The entire metropolitan area will ba blacked out the moment notice of a raid is received. "Sawmilling and building firms have materials ready for building pill boxes and shelters, and many business firms are taking necessary precautions to protect customers in their shops. There is an organisation that will carry out demolition work and restore damaged buildings to a condition of temporary safety. "The provision of gas masks for the public is the concern of the Federal Government, which has not made them available. Masks and asbestos suits, however, have been provided for most of the municipal employees, who will carry out demolition and decontamination work."