CALLS TO FIRES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 120, 19 April 1940, Page 3

CALLS TO FIRES

PALMERSTON NORTH BRIGADE. REPORT ON ACTIVITIES. l Interesting details of fire statistics . covering 1939-40 and the last five years were presented in the report of tlie superintendent (Mr P. A. Milverton) at the annual meeting of tile Palmerston North Eire Board yesterday. The superintendent stated that during the year ended on March 31, 156 calls had boon received, this being 12 i fewer than the record year 1938-39. The lire loss last year totalled £2789 i 13s, of which £2IBB 12s Gd was insured and £6Ol Os Od was not. The insurance on property involved in fires was £80,545 and the value of tlic property £145,622. For tlie five-year period 1935-40, 707 calls were received, including 165 false alarms'and 179 to actual fires. Between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. more calls were received than at any other iourhour period, and March held the record for any month. The average time for the turn-out by the brigade for the five years was 30.3Ssec. Most of the calls were received by telephone. The general alarm was given by 98 calls out of the 707 received. _1 he first-aid appliance dealt with 57.55 per cent, of the outbreaks. A total of 151 false alarms and 133 actual fires were included in 550 calls received during the 1930-35 period, the . general alarm being given for 67 calls. ■ More box calls have been received ; during the year just ended, the pro- ■ portion being 42.3 per cent., against > 33.3 per cent, for the previous year ’ and 26.13 per cent, lor 1937-3 S. This ■ was probably due to the extra boxes ’ which had been installed. False alarms j were above the average, but were , being dealt with wherever possible. 1 The chairman (Mr A. E. Alanstord) , said that tlie proportion of loss to , the value of properties was very satis- . factory. The position as far as false ' alarms were concerned was not so sat- > isfactory. The proportion of 25 per * cent, was a very high total. The board ’ had been involved in expense of £4OO J or £SOO during the year because of , the misguided persons who gave these : false alarms. The superintendent said that the , police were doing their best to reduce 1 the number of false alarms. The chairman said it. would he inter- ■ esting to know what false alarms cost the whole country if they cost Palmerston North about £SOO. Mr Y .M. Edgar spoke of tlie serious position under petrol restrictions, in view of the large amount of petrol a fire-engine used, even at a false call. Advice that, following a series 0.l false alarms of fire given in December last, three children had been dealt with at the Children's Court, after police inquiries had been made in connection with a total of six false alarms ' of fire and also other charges of mischief, was received at the meeting. It [ was decided to thank the police for , their activity in dealing with oftencl--1 ers. 2 An apology for absence from the , meeting was received from Sirs M. i Siddolls, to whom the board extended : sympathy in her illness. Tho secretary (Mr C. \. Day) was 1 complemented on his budgeting of the accounts, the financial year having .’ ended with a credit balance of £344.