FIRE-PLUGS AND FIRE-FIGHTING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5237, 10 February 1928, Page 2

FIRE-PLUGS AND FIRE-FIGHTING.

CTo the Editor.) Sir,—lt is necessary to give a dejfinite reply to the criticism appearing in .your local columns regarding the plug used by thq brigade at the Queen Street fire. Deliberate tactics and no haphazard methods are the key? note of. the . brigade’s organisation. The Princes, Street plug. is*. 60 yards arud the Queen Street plug 30 yards from the fire. Here to begin with, is represented a saving of , at the least, two hundred feet of hose, which i. 9 a consideration from many angles, other than that of saving wear and tear, which leads to expense on rates ‘payers in the supply of new hose. Secondly, as the gear is placed on the engine, the branch has t'° be taken first, and the hose run'out and coupled to •‘the hydrajit. ' From the Princes Street plug a man would have] had to run 60 yards, dragging out thp hose, before it could have been connected to the water, whereas, by going to the Queen Street plug the -engine dropped the branchman whilst passing the; fire, dragging out the hose automatically to the hydrant. Here was a saving in time.

Thirdly, it,was stated that-', the Princes Street plug would have given a continual and regular supply at good pressure. Working from the dead-end ensured absolutely the same, if not a better regularity, and the pressiure was pent up by the termination of the main, ' giving excellent force of water. Lastly, it was obvious, ..on the brigade’s arrival, tha,t the adjacent buildings were s;afe so loing as not a moment was lost in getting in the two leads of water, and, furthermore, in reply, to the statement that had the brewery caught it would have been ;a difficult task to work the Queen Street plug, it is to be po’nted out that had the brewery been on fire it would have been absolutely essential to work from both the Queen Street and the Princes Street plugs. ■ P.V.F. BRIGADE.