A LOCAL NEED.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4472, 27 September 1922, Page 2

A LOCAL NEED.

FIRE-FIGHTING APPLIANCES. On more than one occasion this journal has drawn attention to the' need of some more up-to-date firefighting appliances tor the town. The recent fire .again illustrated the great want of something better, not only with regard to a motor-reel, but that of giving the alarm. It is not, surely, beyond the Limits of the town tp instal an electric fire alarm, When the recent fire started it was some minutes before the. neighbour could get into touch by telephone with anybody to sound the alarm, whereas if an electric alarm had been installed it would have taken but a few seconds. Something better is certainly required, not. pnly for the business portion of the town, but for the residential area as well. It must-be .borne in mind that the local brigade is made up of volunteers, who not only give their time at fires, but . of necessity have to attend practices regularly, and this being so it is surely the part of the public to rally round ahd equip these volunteers with the most up-to-date and necessary gear that it Is possible to procure. It is only, when a fire occurs that the obsolete gear with which our volunteers are equipped is talked of, and we consider the time has arrived when some definite action should be taken to provide them with the gear they are now asking for. The matter of having a reel and hose somewhere in the vicinity pf Hill Street is also another‘’subject that required- attention, and could no doubt be made part of the scheme.Some years back the desirability of having some lengths of hose located in Hill Street was much talked of, but nothing of a definite nature was put forward.