Training School For Firemen Advocated

Chronicle (Levin), 17 June 1948, Page 7

Training School For Firemen Advocated

Press AssociationJ

(Per

CHRISTCHURCH, Jujze 16. , Suggestions for the improvement of fire-fighting services were made toclay by Mr. L. Glover, for the •Superintendents ' and Deputy Superinlejafients' (Jnion, v/hen he cohcluded his final address to the Royal Commusion inqumng into Baliantync ' s . fire on Novemher 18. Pife boards, though thirty years beliind the tixnes, had not outlived tlicir usefulness, Mr. Glover saxd. Some 'of the equipment was 25 years , old and as things stood there. were many incompet'ent firemen and officers. He advocated a national . training school for firemen. D'scussing modeni fife-Iighting eqnip ment, much of wliich he said had noT been seen by New Zealand firemen, Mr. Glover said: "There is an idea abroad that modern ladders rnight liave avoid ed loss of iife at Ballantyne's. Ln faei had an elcclric extension ladder beon sent many niore lives inight'have been lost. People in the buiiding would have rushed to where it vvas erected— three or four on it might have broken its back. As it was some who might have rushed- to the ladder found their own way oui. " ' « Firemen were entitled to be proteet ed against rain and cold when they travelled to fires, Mr. Glover continued. No other persons had to travel in open ears these davs and engines sliould be cuvered,. he said. " I'd drop that subject if 'I were you. It is not going to help us," said the ehairinan (.Jdir Harold .Johnston). When Mr. Glover diseussed the elothing .of firemen the ehairinan said he did not want irrelevant matters introdueed. "You are throwing off your worries on to us, " he added. Mr. Glover: Yery well, I'll leave that t'o Mr. Justice Tyndall (Arbitration Oourt). The union lielieved that theatre firemen sliould be under the direct eoutrol of t'.ie superintendent of the fire brigadc. Tn many eases persons wearing the iniforin of firemen in theatres had no training and gave a sense of false protcction. There was a wrong impression that . firemen when uot attending fires did not do very maeh worlt, Mr. Glover continued. There were uqmerous repairs to be niade in stations and firemen on 'stations woi;ked at . yarieus. trade?). Ifi New Zealand was bombed during a war only one bonib wonld be ueeded to paralyse a eity's fire service, said Mr. Glover. He Jiu not favourrlhe present systeni of haviiig oue central lire statiou housing nearly all the valuable equipnient. The fi'*e services, he considered, sliould be decentraJised. Mr. Glover criticised the design of fire stations, saying that in many cases nien and their wives were housed ov.er the actual station.