COMBATING AIR-RAID FIRES

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 32, 2 November 1942, Page 6

COMBATING AIR-RAID FIRES

Wellington Gathering CONFERENCE AND SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION Superintendents or deputy, superintendents of most of the city and leading provincial fire brigades of' New Zealand, together with senior officers representing the E.F.S. organizations throughout New Zealand, are at present assembled in Wellington to discuss niethods of fire-fighting incendiary air raids, such as might be experienced if New Zealand is subjected to enemy attack during the present war. Recently the Government imported an officer of the London Fire Brigade with experience of such fire-fighting under blitz conditions ■to New Zealand to report as to what, in his opinion, should be done in advance to combat the threatened danger. Mr. Wilson,' the officer in' question, has been all over New Zealand in company with Mr. R. Girling-Butcher, Chief Inspector of Fire Brigades, and has already submitted his report to the Minister of National Service. Following that, the present conference has been arranged, in order that each responsible officer, either of fire brigades or E.F.S. units, may make personal contact with Mr. Wilson and learn at first hand those methods which have proved to be most effective in combating air-raid fires.

The conference, which is being held in the central station, will not be confined to verbal discussion. There will be certain day occasions during which practical lessons in methods of suppression will be given concerning all manner of fires likely to occur as the result of enemy action. Such is the importance attached to this conference and school of instruction that it may extend over the next two weeks.