FIRE BRIGADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1938, Page 7

FIRE BRIGADE

KNOX SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTBREAK STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN OF BOARD. BIGGER VOLUNTEER STAFF PROPOSED. The following statement on the subject of the Masterton Fire Board's inquiry in regard to the Knox Sunday School fire is issued for publication, on behalf of the board, by Mr N. T. B. W. Beetham (chairman): — "(1) It was established at the inquiry that the brigade did not receive the call until approximately fifteen minutes after the fire started. “(2) Despilo the foot that there wain alarm box in the vicinity considerable time was wasted in telephoning the alarm. The fire was only a short distance from the station and a personal call would have been much quicker than the method adopted. “(3) When the brigade arrived, although there was not a great deal of evidence of fire, the inquiry showed that it was well established under the floor.' The building was an old wooden one in which fire would take hold rapidly and the situation of the fire was one difficult to attack. “(4) The procedure on arrival of the brigade was correct and the attack was smartly carried out, but the brigade was handicapped by the fact that only eight brigade members were available for the first twenty minutes and only nine for the rest of the operations at the fire. “(5) From the position and extent of the fire when the brigade arrived it is doubtful whether under the best conditions the fire could have been extinguished without involving the whole or major portion of the hall. Shortly after the brigade arrived it was evident that the most that could be done was to protect the adjoining property. “(G) The inquiry established that the brigade officers failed to give adequate attention to the protection of the adjoining brick schoolroom. Both officers admitted being at fault in this matter. The damage to this building occurred through the failure to reestablish the delivery from the standpipe in Worksop Road after removal of the pump from the front ef the building.

“CD The result of the fire was not : fleeted to any material extent by the failure of one of the auxiliary firemen Io operate the ratchet valve 'on the standpipe, The incident would ’ not have occurred had either of the officers attended to the re-establisbment of the delivery from Worksop Road. 'The Inspector of Fire Brigades on the -'ccasion of his last two inspections has reported that the standard of training in the Brigade is very satisfactory. “<'S) The Inspector of Fire Brigades has expressed the opinion that the non-resident volunteer staff of the brir.ade should bo increased to lessen the possibility of the brigade- ,being handicapped by a small attendance at major fires as on this occasion. This proposal is being considered at the next meeting of the board.” Mr Bee’ham stared that during recent von-s 4 ho brigade had done c::-celk-nl work sod had made some particularly smart saves. It would, there--fore, he most unfair to condemn either the brigade or the officers unduly for ■> mistake which occurred when the brigade was working under difficulties at a very severe fire.