E.F.S. TRAINING

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 26, 26 October 1942, Page 4

E.F.S. TRAINING

Tactical Exercises At Evans Bay USE OF BOATS IN OFFSHORE WORK Principally as a demonstration off-shore methods of dealing with shipping fires, a series of tactical exercises, the first of their kind attempted in New Zealand,, was carried out at Evans Bay yesterday by the No. 2 Division of the Wellington E.F.S. It was considered a remarkably efficient demonstration, opening up a new phase in fire-fight-ing training for auxiliary crews.

Twelve trailer pumps, with hose-lay-ing .trailers, took part in the operation, which was directed by the divisional oflicer, ,Mr.G. Robinson, and the assistant ' divisional officer, Mr. H. 11. Jessop. They were responsible for the design and complete organization of the exercises. Demonstrations were given of the full working range of the equipment, series pumping, or relaying, of water over a considerable distance, single-unit pump operations, and the use of boats to carry hose-lines out to objectives in the sea, in this case a distance of 409 feet to the end of a lauding stage. The high-light’ of the display was the embarkation of two trailer pumps on a barge for an off-shore practice attack on a shipping fire.. This involved bringing into operation multiple deliveries. First, eight hoses played up i-inch jets. They were then bridled into a group of four carrying 1-inch jets. Finally, with both trailer pumps working to maximum capacity, the water was sent out in one very powerful 2-inch jet, for direct attack on the seat of a fire and it reached its maximum effective projection 100 feet in the air. This, the first combined exercise of its nature, is to be followed by similar training operations with the other three divisions of the Wellington E.F.S.

Commenting on the exercises, Mr. A. D. Wilsop, the London fire brigade expert who is ini New Zealand’ as an adviser to the Government, said they were a very useful demonstration of the facilities for fighting fires on ships with equipment brought off the land by the efficient use of lines on a mobile platform. It marked a big advance on existing methods in this country. Besides Mr. Wilson, the demonstration was watched by Mr. R. Girlipg Butcher, Dominion Fire Controller, Mr. A. C. Woolley, Wellington district fire controller, and the superintendents of the Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Timaru, Nelson and New Plymouth Fire Brigades.