FUTURE FIRE FIGHTERS.

Shannon News, 30 March 1928, Page 3

FUTURE FIRE FIGHTERS.

VOLUNTEER OR PAID BRIGADES.

REPLY TO PAPER’S CRITICISM

By special request of a number of brigades, in reply to statements published in the Auckland Star, Captain Watts, secretary of the United Fire Brigades’ Association, read a paper at the conference of tlie association held at ’Ndw Plymouth on volunteer fire brigades. ‘ . “It has been said,” commenced the paper, “that, speaking generally, towns which still depend upon volunteers get as low insurance rates as cities which have paid systems, provided the facilities for fire protection are adequate. In other cases some local bodies of even a small population seem to look upon a volunteer department as a temporary expedient to be abolished as sooii as the salaries of three or four regular firemen can be afforded. There is apt to come a time when the volunteers are neglected, for the town may feel itself becoming a city and is ashamed of its old protectors. It may not have the population of a single ward in such places as Auckland, but it regards a so-called paid system as an evidence of metropolitan growth. There is, of course, truth in this idea, but it does not justify slighting a good volunteer system for the sake of establishing a paid department so small and weak as to be unable to cope with an unusual fire. Especially is it not a reasonable excuse for falling into the period of transition that afflicts so many towns, a term of possibly years during which by reason of criticism and often ridicule the volunteers become /demoralised and next to worthless, and yet no paid system is established. ' This has led to strikes and disorders and commonly results in a big fire which frightens the authorities into action and heaps unmerited blame upon the volunteers. MORAL SUPPORT NECESSARY. “ Volunteers, being just- plain folks, have an idea that if they offer, to do work others do not want to do a certain amount of appreciation and support is due them. If . the members of local bodies in our ‘volunteer towns’ would devote a little serious - thought to these matters they would get along much better with their firemen. The 'motto ‘Put yourself in his -place’ might serve a very useful purpose. . “Just as a paid department must have the money due to it for salaries, the volunteers need to be, given plenty of - moral support. This, of course, is a necessity with both systems, but it is often forgotten that the volunteer gets practically nothing else as pay. Many a town would Rave had a serviceable and efficient volunteer department for years after the time of change had. its members not been demoralised by the neglect and indifference of those who should have shown appreciation. ‘‘ An important item in this regard is that the failure of the volunteer system'often forces the installation of a paid one before, the town can afford to make the latter what it should be. There is this to say about volunteers, they do not put the small fires out as quickly as do the, paid ones, but Avlieri the big, threatening blaze comes they have the men to handle the number of hose lines'that are necessary. When a conflagration is developing the only chance of Stopping it amongst . such buildings as are common ...to-day is by, streams of water arid enough of them to do the work effectually. “UNSEEMLY RIDICULE” DEPLORED.

“These are likely to need more men to handle them than are available in many of the paid departments to which the citizens point with pride. Sometimes sufficient auxiliary men are provided for, b.ht more often 1 not, and in the , latter event the firemen are sure to be out-classed at the start when a really dangerous fire, corned. This is mentioned only because it must be taken into consideration when volunteers are to be done away with. “A contributing factor to the loss of keenness in volunteer brigades is the unseemly ridicule aimed at them in the text and illustrations of newspapers and periodicals and, more particularly, latterly in the moving picture, films. Firemen of all classes should unite in discouraging this so-called wit, for it does a great deal of harm. “The volunteer fireman is by no means out of date. He will be the guardian of the lives and property of thousands of people long, after we are forgotten. We are not likely to see volunteer brigades much longer in the large towns of Dominion, but I would stress on all concerned the advisability of retaining th'e services of existing volunteer brigades as long as possible. This can be accomplished by absorbing the brigades as units of the main brigade, thus entitling the members to retain their individuality. One or two men could be employed permanently in each station, more single men sleeping on the station at night, and the,others linked up by some'alarm system.

“The greatest 'asset our volunteer firemen have is their local knowledge of their respective districts, which could never be acquired to the same extent by the permanent firemen, a number of whom are here to-day and gone to-morrow.”