THE FIRE BRIGADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 582, 10 August 1909, Page 5

THE FIRE BRIGADE.

FIGHTING STRENGTH REVIEWED. ' The fighting strength of the local. fire ;brigades, which is - reviewed : in- the City. Council's year-hook, shows that there, aro at present -seven. lire stations in the city and three hose-reel 'stations. The, full personnel of- the brigade is, in- addition -to the Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent, 20 permanent, 17 auxiliary, % and 58 volunteer firemen, also a volunteer firo police corps, consisting of 30 members. At'the central station, there are 16 permanent firemen; and 4 auxiliary firemen, in addition to the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent; .Newtown has a staff of la: made, up of a foreman,' 4 permanent, and 7 auxiliary hands. Thorndon has a staff' mL Permanent, and auxiliary firemen. The Kilbirniei station has 1 permanent 2 auxiliary, and 15 volunteer.- hands, ■•■'ki Brooklyn there are 16 volunteer firemen, at Kilbirnie 14 volunteers, and at Island Bay 13 volunteers. .The plant in the 'hands of the brigade has grown .considerably during the past couple of years, and now Consists of a Shand-Mason steam fire-engine,. with a capacity of 650 gallons per minute; a motor chemical engine, and hose wagon, 30-40 h.p.: . and another - similar machine'of 20-24 h.p.; four 2-horse hose-reels, a 65ft. Shand-Mason telescope ladder, a. 30ft. hand fire-escape, \4 hand hose-reels, 6 hand hose-carts, 3 hand chemical engines, .7 horses, 13,512 ft. of hose, 9 street fire-alarm circuits, -and 57 street fire-alarm: call points. There is also a ShandMason ;engine of 1000 gallons capacity, belonging, to. the Harbour Board, which engine iB housed at the icentral station, • and by agreement with-the board, is available for use at fires in the city.

.Authority! haß just been given for tlfoe installation of a dozen more call points at Aro Street, Kelburne, Island Bay, Brooklyn and Botanical Road, at a total cost nf £262. .