EVER BEEN HAD?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 182, 19 November 1941, Page 5

EVER BEEN HAD?

FIRE BRIGADE FOOLED

TOWN BECOMING FIRE

MINDED

li anyone should venture to ask »

fireman ,if he has ever been hadr— well he shouldn't. Anyway it would not have been safe yesterday morning, when bleary eyed, short of. sleep firemen Avere rather touchy on

the point of sirens, motor horns like sirens—and in fact anything resemb' ling a siren—particularly' when associated with the wee sma' hours.

They were not alone as others bad been awoken at 3.30 a.m. by a shrill screaming noise and the pyjama parade proceeded. Lights flashed on in the town area, heads emerged from windows, telephones tinkled and cars careered to the Strand —and all because the wires of a motor horn short circuited.

The telephone exchange began answering the query "Where's the fire?" with a monotonous round ol "The siren's going, but we don't lPnow anything about itl" The clerks

rang firemen and called them , to duty. The "Super" made his usua.l dash to arrive at a dark station.

The man on duty grumbled In his* Sleep as he slid a leg into service pants—he hadn't heard the siren. No! neither had the others when they, began to listen and check switches,» and so with much - moaning and gnashing of teeth they wended away homewards feeling rather sore.

There were murmerings and mut* tings of "fools who don't know the siren when they hear it" . . . what idiot rang me" . . . "what imbecile owns that car" . . . "my wife thinks I'm silly now she'll be sure of it'"

Still we think the brigade shouliS be pleased to get such a realistic an£ impromptu practice —of course, we admit we did not hear the pseuda siren, which may make a difference®