NEED OF FIRE POLICE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 54, 27 November 1926, Page 6

NEED OF FIRE POLICE

» BRIGADE AGAIN HINDERED Palmerston North, November 26. “The fire in Rangitikei Street yesterday gave a good illustration of the valuable service which could be rendered by a fire police corps in keeping back the crowd, regulating the traffic, and generally assisting the brigade to carry out its work with greater ease,” remarked Mr W. H Barnard, superintendent of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade, in conversation with a reporter to-day. He stated that, once again, the brigade had been hindered in its operations by cars and bicycles, and curious crowds, which was far from desirable, as in many cases the damage caused by fire might be increased if the brigade was hampered in its work. Fire spread quickly, and free scope was very necessary for the firemen. “There is nothing like a fire to attract a crowd from nowhere,” said Mr. Barnard, “and a fire corps on the lines that have been suggested locally could do a great deal to assist us.”’ The scheme of fire police corps involves voluntary workers, who have a schedule of duties to perform in the event of a fire, each corps having a definite boundary in the town, which is divided into sections for the purpose. A meeting was held recently, under the auspices of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce, with a view to forming such organisations throughout the town, but public interest was lacking, and nothing was accomplished.