NEW CITY AMBULANCE STATION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2919, 3 November 1916, Page 8

NEW CITY AMBULANCE STATION

ON CENTRAL BAND ROTUNDA SITE. At last evening's meeting of the City Council the Mayor (Mr. .1. P. Luke) made a statement respecting tho new city ambulance service. He stated that another conference had been bold between Mr. C. E. Daniell (chairman of the Harbour Board), Mr. Tait (superintendent' of the Fire Brigade), Mr. W. H. Mprtou (City Engineer), and himself on Wednesday. Tho proposal to tho council was that tho band rotunda, opposite tho Fire Brigado Station in Jervois Quay, should l bo removed to Oriental Bay. Ite removal would provide a very finesite for a motor ainbulanco building in keeping, with the architectural surroundings, and ono that would bo artistic as well as useful. 'It would be sufficiently largo to houso two motor ambulances, though it was only proposed to get one in the meantime. The proposal was that, seeing tho council would provide the land 'and build the station, tho Harbour Board should provido tbc ambulance and pay tlie council £200 a year towards its maintenance. Two extra men would be required for tho Fire Brigado, and they would liavo to build up tho staff so as to permit of a man being available for the motor ambulance at any time of the niglit or day. They would havo the benefit of having at their disposal the tliirty men cf the brigade, each of whom would be trained so as to be able to take charge of the motor at any tiino. If they had separate control, they would have to keep two men, one for day duty and one for night duty, and even then sickness might occur to deprive them of tho services of one, but they would have others to go upon if the brigade had charge. Mr. W. Hildreth 6aid that from what he had gathered in conversation with members of the Harbour Board, the City Coiuicil would have to provide its own ambulanco, as tho board seomed to favour having an ambulance of its own kept near the life-saving rocket station. He did not think the board (of which Mr. Hildreth is a member) would adopt the idea of buying a motor ambulance for tho city.

, Councillor W. H. P. Barber said he was- sorry to hear what Mr. Hildreth had said. He was convinced that tho board w;ould be taking a wrong step in having its own ambulance. If they relied on their mechanical staff to man it, it was conceivable that they would not always have a.man on the spot, whereas by entrusting the service to the brigade the ambulance would be'upon the spot at any time of the day -or night almost before the telephone bell had ceased to ring.

The Fire Brigade Committee was empowered to pursue negotiations with the board. ' '