LOCAL BODIES TO COMBINE FOR ANY SUDDEN DISASTER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 24, 12 August 1949, Page 5

LOCAL BODIES TO COMBINE FOR ANY SUDDEN DISASTER

Plans for various public organisations a't Whakatane to combine at a moment’s notice if required should a catastrophe occur in the district have been prepared by the Whakatane St John Ambulance Brigade and are expected to be finalised at a combined meeting of the affected bodies next month. The idea was first mooted by the ,St John to assist, wherever possible, should any disaster such as a plane -crash, fire, earthquake 'or ship wreck occur in the Whakatane district. All the bodies will be organised to swing into action at a moment’s notice should the police require any assistance. The organisations so far approached are the Legion of Frontiersmen, £ire Brigade, Registered Nurses, St John, Red .Cross, Amateur Radio Transmitters, borough council and police. It is intended that all these bodies will have a central base each to which they will report as soon as any alarm goes out to call them. When the whole scheme is organised it is expected that all members of the project will be standing by at their individual bases within ten minutes.

It is asserted by the organisers that in the event of a plane crash in the hills much valuable time would be saved if all the different foodies were able to stand by within ,a few minutes after being called. An example of how time can be wasted is quoted in the recent plane crash on Mt. Ruapehu. Two members sf the Ruapehu Tramping Club reached and returned from the scene of the crash within a day. It took the police, who had to organise all the parties required, almost two days just to 1 climb to the wrecked aircraft.

Had all those different bodies been organised into a scheme such as is planned at Whakatane it is thought much of that time would have been saved.

When the final plan is put into operation Whakatane will have an organisation which will be ready, if needed, within a very short time. Nurses, radio operators and skilled bushmen and trampers will be at the services of the police should they be required. So far the organisations approached have expressed enthusiasm for the project but the organisers, although preparing for any major catastrophe, hope there will never be any need for them to be called out.