PAEROA FIRE BRIGADE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4480, 16 October 1922, Page 2

PAEROA FIRE BRIGADE.

DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL. At the meeting of the Borough Council on Thursday a deputation from tlie local Volunteer Fire Brigade waited on tlie members, and the following report was presented by the Fire Prevention Council: “Your committee herewith submit to you a report of the past year’s work, and in addition desire to bring several matters under your notice for the future operations of the Fire Council/.and whichwill.be more fully placed before you by a deputation to your meeting. "You will notice that we have a. balance of £24 3s 3d, out of which, we are pledged to provide six uniforms at once, costing Approximately £26 Ils Id. The brigade is how asking for six more, which will cost another £25 19s, In addition to this we have to provide for at. least £4O for the usual yearly upkeep. The last report from the brigade, just to hand, shows a full membership, and the report also says that the equipment is in gopd order, but complains of the low pressure in the pipes of the outer area, and also that for want of uniforms some of their members have to attend fires and wet practices in their civilian clothes. The Fire Council submit to you- an approximate cost of a hew fire station and also an approximate cost for re erecting one they Have under offer at Karangahake for removal, but it sho<Vs clearly .that the’ latter cost would not effect a great saving, there being only about £2O difference in carrying out this work at a cost of approximately £3OO. We would ask your Council to provide a; sum of £2OO fpr this purpose, and would draw your attention to the fact that for the two years’ period 1921-23 we have only drawn £25 out of the £2OO placed on the Borough Council’s estimates for the Fire Council’s use. We may also have to ask for a further sum of £5O to carry us on. to the end of March, 1924. “Tlie brigade is prepared to offer us the loan of £9O towards the building on the understanding that it is refunded by your Council in four annual repayments, the first repayment to be payable during 1923. We estimate that this sum of £3oo' would provide a building 40ft. x 24ft, with a social hall, and sleeping quarters for two men, and ample room for all equipment.

“Our attention has been .drawn by the brigade to the lack of signs over the fire-plugs, and the fact that some of the plugs have been buried by your workmen while carrying out their work, and if these are cleared tlie brigade will undertake the system of alternately using the fire-plugs at their wet practices.

"Mr E. Shaw has kindly consented to furnish us with a blue print showing the position of all the fire-plugs, and this will be available shortly. "We are of the opinion that should the new building be erected it would be desirable to have three or four electric alarms erected ih the suburbs and connected with the fife station. “It is tlie opinion of the Fire Council that in future all annual grants should be paid tp them in full, whether expended or othei*wise, sp that a fund may be to provide for better and more up-to date equipment in the near future.”

- The balance-sheet showed a balance in hand of £l2 4s 3d and outstanding liabilities £ll 19s, making £24 3s 3d. Liabilities totalled £52 10s Id, made up of £26 Ils Id for six uniforms already authorised and £25 19s for six uniforms asked for. Upkeep expenditure.—Medals, etc., £7 Is 6d, social £l2, repairs, etc., £5, telephone £4, lighting £1 10s, secretary’s remuneration £5, sundries £5 103; tota.l, £4O Is 6d. Approximate expenditure and receipts, 1923-24.—Six uniforms £26, approximate upkeep £4O, total £66, ’Approximate canvass £25, Borough grant £5O, total £75. New building.—Old> building at Karangahake (Aitken’s pirice), £llO : estimated cost of removal .and reerection, £65 ; spouting, lighting, and paint, £25 ; chimney, lining and ceiling (two rooms), £65; total £265First estimate £255, second estimate £262.

Approximate estimate of new building,, complete with half the floor in concrete: First estimate £285, second estimate £275. Fire Brigade loan. £9O, Paeroa Borough Council grant £2O0 l ; total, £290. THE DISCUSSION. Mr F. El Flatt, chairman of the fire council, in introducing the deputation to tfie Borough Council, pointed out how sadly the brigade was in need pt a new fire station. This matter had now been under discussion tor some years, but nothing definite had been done. The Fire Council had gone into the question of removing a suitable building from Karangahake, and with the assistance of Messrs Roberts and Marshall they had gone carefully into the estimates and had found that a new station could be built almost as cheaply as removing a building to Paeroa. A new station■' would cost approximately £3OO, apd of this amount the Borough Council was asked to contribute about £175 in addition to the usual sum granted to the brigade for maintenance work. The sum of £175 would be spread over two years, and be regarded as money advanced by the Borough Council to the Fire Council ton niaintenance and repairs for that number of years. Mr Flatt said the Borough 'had to remember that the new fire station would be their own, and it was ill their own particular interests, as well as the interests of the brigade, that a more up-to-date fire station be provided. Captain Moore, of the fire brigade, and one of the deputation, endorsed what Mr Flatt had said, and also the Fire Council’s report. The speaker pointed tout that. Paeroa was growing and becoming very much .more scattered, and in consequence the brigade. although possessing a full number of members, was woefully in need of more up-to-date equipment, uniforms, and accommodation. Captain Moore suggested that the Fire Council should revive all annual grants

in full, and that they be allowed, to Have a fund of their own, which would doubtlessly be built up each year by the unexpended portions of the grants, and that this money be utilised by the brigade for repairs and maintenance.

Fireman Martin, the other member of the deputation, supported Captain Moore, and pointed out that the brigade had provided six hew uniforms from their own resources, but they were badly in need of a further halfdozen, which would cost approximately £4 7s each. The Mayor, in reply to Cr. Silcock, explained that it was quite correct that in close on two years the Fire Council had only received £25, although £lOO was placed on the estimates of the Borough Council. Tire present fire station was the property of tlie Ohinemuri County Council, said the Mayor.

Captain Mdpre, on being asked by the Mayor what site he considered would be the most suitable in tlie event of the new fire station being built, said he would like tp see the station somewhere in the main streetnear the National Bank. In reply to the Mayor's suggestion that Hall Street might be a suitable site, Captain Moore said he considered that position would b.e too far back, and the turning of tne corners into the main street would be very awkward, especially with a motor fire-reel.

His Worship the Mayor, referring to the offer pf the brigade to lend tlie sum of £9O towards the cost of a building, said that sum represented monies collected for the purchase of a motor-reel, and care would have to be taken that there were np restrictions on borrowing the money other than the conditions as set out in the report?.

Cr. Vuglar said the fact could not be overlooked that the fire brigade was badly in need pf new quarters, and he considered that the Borough Council should accord tlie brigade all the assistance possible, but he realised how the Borough, was handicapped through lack of funds. Cr. Edwards, in supporting the previous speakers, said he was quite in sympathy with the request for a new station, as the present one was totally inadequate. The cost of .the proposed station was not outrageous, and he considered that if the Council had been in a position to place £lOO each year on the estimates flor the past two years, then the proposed cost would not’be any heavier a burden for the Borough.

Cr, Marshall said he fully realised the need for improvement in the equipment and facilities of the<brigade, but as chairman of the Finance Committee he pointed out that £2OO in two years had not been allotted, but what had been done was that £loo* was placed on the estimates .the year before last, and the further £lOO on this year’s estimates represented the unexpended portion of last year’s amount (about £75). The speakersaid he considered the question oE the site for the fire station was fundamental to the scheme, and he would strenuously oppose any proposal put forward to build a woodeh building within the brick area. The by-laws must be observed' by the Borough Council, or else how could that body fairly and reasonably ask residents and ratepayers to carry them out ? Cr. Marshall considered that the Fire Council should gp into the question of a site before anything else was done in the matter. -

Cr. Bain said he could not see that it would help matters any by deferring the scheme; it was to be the Borough Council’s building, and it was their liability to select a site and assist the Fire Council, and brigade as much as possible. When a site js definitely decided on, added the speaker, then the question pf brick areas and by-laws can be gone into.

Cr. Silcock said that unquestionably every councillor and every ratepayer must agree that a new building and modern equipment was necessaryto protect life and property, as well as insurances, and he was of the opinion that all help possible-should be given.

The Mayor said he had put in. some eight' years’ service in the fire brigade, and fully realised the many disadvantages under which the members were suffering, and was confident that the Borough Council would do all in its power to assist the. building project,, but the question of the finance had to be carefully gone into and the legal position ascertained before anything definite, was promised.;

On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Marshall, it was decided that the Fire Council’s report be referred to the Finance Committee with a view to ascertaining the legal position, and that the Council was prepared, if legally possible, to find the necessary amount to enable the biulding o,f a new fire station to be proceeded with. With regard to the question of a suitable site, His Worship said that the Borough Council was not in a position to purchase a site, and, as previously pointed out, it was not possible to build a wooden building in a brick area, so he considered that the Hall Street site could quite well be used on which to put up the firai station, which, after all, would oply, be a temporary building. After some further discussion as to> the most suitable site it was resolved! on the motion of Cr. Flatt, seconded! by Cr. Leach, that the selection of a. site be left in the hands of the Mayor* Deputy-Mayor, and Cr, Flatt.