SEACLIFF FIRE TRAGEDY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23966, 5 June 1943, Page 2

SEACLIFF FIRE TRAGEDY

COMMISSION’S REPORT STATEMENT BY MINISTER From Our Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON. June 4. The report of the Royal Commission which investigated the circumstances of the fire in the SeaclifT Mental Hospital on December 8, in which 37 patients lost their lives, was presented to Parliament to-day by the Minister of Health (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer). In an interview afterwards, the Minister explained the steps being taken by the department to replace dangerous buildings, to improve fire precautions, and to provide additional staff. The commission found that, irrespective of the number of patients accommodated in ward 5, which was destroyed by the fire, the ward was dangerous because of the original design of the building, which did not make proper provision for protection from fire. The alarm system was in good order, but the commission was of the opinion that no system of that type could be considered adequate. It considered that a modern automatic system should be introduced throughout Seacliff and similar institutions. The institution’s fire brigade appeared to the commission to have been efficiently trained and carried out its duties with great efficiency. It was entitled to groat praise for the manner in which the fire was restricted to ward 5. Fire-fighting appliances were in efficient working order at the time of the fire. The water pressure was not, in the commission’s opinion, sufficient. Seacliff. like all other mental hospitals, was experiencing a great shortage of staff, and the hospital staff was inadequate in numbers to provide the requisite supervision of all patients at all times. It was unfortunate that, probably because of the shortage of staff, a nurse was not on duty in ward 5 at all times during the night. There was no evidence of arty dereliction of duty on the part of any member of the staff. Reduction of Fire Hazards Considering practicable steps for the reduction of fire hazards in mental hospitals, the commission was of the opinion that there were certain matters of general application. The view of all expert witnesses was that wards should be of one storey and built on th' villa system. Where it was necessary to lock patients in their rooms, it should be possible to install in each room an emergenc - ’ exist opening from the outside. Existing fire escapes should be carefully examined. The commission recommended changes in the training of the staff in the usrt of fire-fighting appliances. It said the employee placed in charge of the fire brigade should be attached to the nearest city fire brigade for 14 days every year to receive training and experience in modern .fire-fighting methods. A trailer pump should be provided, and the institution brigade should be equipped with modern rescue equipment in the form of gas masks and self-contained oxygen breathing sets. In the commission’s opinion, some of the buildings at Seacliff were unsuitable and the staff would labour under great disadvantages until the institution was remodelled. It was difficult to see how this could be done on the present site. There should be no extension of the present buildings until the whole question had been investigated by experts. In a statement on the report, Mr Nordmeyer said it could not be denied that the ward destroyed was a dangerous fire risk. It did not follow that all wooden buildings wore dangerous. The units for 50 patients erected as part of the villa system of institutions at Stoke, Templeton Farm (Christchurch), and elsewhere were single-storeyed, had ample exits, were well spaced, and, with adequate equipment, were perfectly satisfactory. In other respects they were much to he preferred to the older type of building to be seen at Seacliff and Sunnyside, for example. Replacement of Old Buildings Many of the buildings in these older institutions were definitely dangerous. The Government was determined that they should be replaced at the earliest possible moment, but, because of the war, it was difficult to put its plans into effect. The main buildings at Porirua, recently damaged by earthquake, would be completely replaced by villas, Mr Nordmeyer said it Was undeniable that an automatic alarm system would have saved some important minutes at the commencement of the fire and the possibility of obtaining sufficient equipment to instal modern systems in all mental hospitals was being investigated. The Department of Works and the Chief Inspector of Fire Brigades had been asked to arrange for a full report on all aspects of fire prevention and fire-fighting at each mental hospital. .A system of staff training as recommended by the committee would be put into force immediately. The aim of the Government would always be to accommodate as many patients as possible in unlocked villas. In the case of the small number of locked single rooms, that unfortunately would continue to be necessary, consideration would be given to the possibility of providing emergency doors. The Minister said recommendations by the commission for improving the staffing position were already under action. ~ Members of the commission were Mr H. W. Bundle. S.M., Miss Jessie A. Tomlinson, and Mr F. C. Laidlaw.