IN CASE OF FIRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10610, 8 June 1920, Page 7

IN CASE OF FIRE

DEFICIENT ESCAPES POSITION IN CITY HOTELS. COMMENT BY POLICE INSPECTOR. Caustic comment) on the. slate,of disrepair into which tho lire “escapes’ in some of the leading city hotels have been allowed to fall, and on the absence of reasonable facilities for escape, even in cases where: tho existing fixtures are in goocl order, was made by Inspector AY. B. Mcllvcrtey in tho course, of his annual report to tho City Licensing Committee yesterday.

“I regret! to say that in my opinion thero is need, for improvement in connection with the care- and , .sufficiency of fire escapes in a number of the licensed houses,” said the inspector. “In the large buildings whore the front fire escapes tormina to at tho balcony at tho level of the second storey tha provision for the public safety is insufficient. Each balcony has a. three or four feet fence alt its outer sides, and with the exception of Barrett’s Hotel there arc not uny means provided whereby people may safely descend from the halconv to the footpath, a distance of approximately fifteen to twenty feet. In the event of a firo occurring in these buildings to jump or fall over tho fence to the ground would almost certainly result in the dearth of some of tho unfortunates who attempted to escape.” AN, IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTED. “At tho Grand Hotel there was at one time a flexible wire-sided ladder which could have been thrown over tho side of tho balcony for use when required, but it has been allowed) to rust to pieces. AtS Barrett’s Hotel there, is a flexible chain-sided ladder with ample wooden steps. It can be thrown over the side of the balcony for uso at any moment. I suggest that n similar ladder be insisted upon a t the Grand Hotel, tho New Commercial Hotel, tho Post Office Hotel, the Cecil Hotel, and the Occidental Hotel.” “JUMP OF 20 FEET.” “At tho Royal Hotel tho firo escape at tho south-eastern corner of the building-leads from the upper levels to what was once tthe firm iron roof of an adjoining house. Ths roof has corroded and is now unsafe. Thero aro not any existing means of escape from the foot of the ladder excepting to jump over a brick wall, approximately twenty feet in height, to itlhc footpath in Dixon street. At 'the bottom of the present ladder, I suggest the erection of a landing place from which there should bo a descending ladder (preferably a chain-sided flexible ladder) available to insure reaching tho footpath with as little risk as may be possible,” . INSUFFICIENT PRECAUTIONS. “All bidders from the Upper portion of the front and western side of the New Zealander Hotel lead to a common platform at tho second ’ storey level, but tho only escape from it would bo by successfully traversing tho platform to the rear uf the house, where there is a descending ladder. In the. event of a firo at the side or roar of die hotel the inmates would. have co jump from the second stciey level to the lootpnrth. In mj’. opinion at least one descending ladder is necessary to provide for public safety, and I recommend that it bo placed there, without et’ay “POSITIVELY DANGEROUS.”

At tho Central Hotel—an old wooden building—the firo escape ladder nt the corner of Foathcrston street and Lambton quay appears to have been placed to bo positively dangerous, if not absolutely useless in ease of fire. To reach it one would require to bo able to perform an acrobatic feat by 'Swinging round from the window* on either side of it. I. suggest that it ,bo placed iu more direct communication with ono of the windows, and thus he accessible to any inmate.”

A POSSIBLE “DEATH 'TRAP.” •'The ladders from the respective floors at ..the back of tho Post Office Hotel lead into a small triangular enclosure from which the only cutlet is through the house itself on tho ground floor. Should a fire he so situated as to involve flic ground floor ns well as one or more of tho upper floors at or near- the front of the premises, the unfortunates who may have recourse to the back ladders will, in ray opinion, find themselves in a death trap, unless they have sufficient time to ascend to an upper story, from which they may succeed in'reaching a frontal ladder, by which they' .may descend to the balcony. But at present, the firo escapes end at the level of this balcony, some twenty feet above tho footpath, hence my suggestion for an additional ladder”. The absence of light (duo to tho removal or destruction of electrio light fittings) in' the passages which the staff and other .inmates would have to negotiate ea route to the ladders, and tho fact that rooms 3,4, o, 6, and 7 on the third floor have no direct moans of escape, still further accentuate the situation at this house. • “APPROACHES BLOCKED AVITH RUBBISH.”

“In some, instances, 1 found the passage approaches to the escapes blocked with articles which should havo been consigned to the rubbish heap or at least removed from the premises—old wire-woven stretchers, broken and disused chairs, empty cases aud so forth. On the outside platforms and trapdoors were found old chairs, empty cases and generally an array; of llowor-pots and old kegs filled with soil in which plants were growing, it is, 1 submit, needless to comment upon the uselessness of such so-called fire escapes iu casus of requirement at the outbreak of lire, i requested the immediato removal of the obstructions! to which I have referred. In other cases, the directions inside the buildings as to where the escapes are situated were misleading or inadequate. An undertaking was obtained that the obviously necessary alterations or improvements would bo made forthwith. BEFORE LICENSES ABE RENEWED. The chairman! of the committee, Mr W. Cr. Riddell. S.M.. said that it was quite* apparent I’roju tliu report that in tlw event of lire in many hotels the provision fur escape was totally inadequate. It was essential that licensees should provide the travelling public with a reasonable chance of escaping. Existing precautions had been allowed .to fall into disrepair, and it was absolutely imperative that they bo puit right—together with other suggested improvements—to the satisfaction of the police. To that end, the committee had decided to adjourn all applications for renewals, in respect of wliioh requisitions had been made by the police, until .luiie 28tb, when they would be considered.