OUR FIRE BRIGADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1938, Page 9

OUR FIRE BRIGADE

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In the spacious days of the silent films we were wont to be highly diverted by the antics of the fire brigades and police forces in the Keystone comedies, but in our saner moments we felt that these were decidedly overdone. However, after the Masterton Fire Brigade’s efforts at the Knox Sunday School and Archer Street fires, one • realises how near real life the comedies of those far off days sometimes were. In the first instance, a building some 200 yards from the station was completely burned and an adjoining brick building gutted. From eyewitness accounts the attempts of the firemen to connect up the leads were ludicrous and on the short trip to the fire one of the firemen fell off the engine. But the second effort was even more priceless from a humorous point of view, though not so disastrous. For the brigade to journey over a mile in the opposite direction to the fire, with the officer who received the message on board, before realising the error, and another engine to arrive at the fire in the meantime with one solitary fireman aboard, is surely worthy of Keystone at its best. Now, Sir, though these incidents have their amusing side, they are also indicative of a sad state of affairs in the organisation and efficiency of the brigade. These little contretemps are expected in a village fire brigade, but in a substantial and progressive town like Masterton, surely .an efficient fire brigade should be one of the first essential services. The value of property in the borough is now such as to merit first-rate fire-fighting equipment manned by officers thoroughly competent to use it effectively and expeditiously.

I note that the chairman of the Fire Board states that the matter will be reviewed at the board’s next meeting, but it is hoped that it will be more than reviewed and that the service will on this occasion be thoroughly investigated and overhauled so that there may be no further fiascos. One would have thought that after the disastrous Knox Sunday School fire steps would have been taken to tighten things up, but despite the stir caused at the time, little appears to have been done and the result of any inquiry never seems to have come to light. Although it must be admitted that the building was very old, and the timber once started would burn very quickly, nevertheless, it seems that in view of the short distance from the station, something could have been done by an efficient force to check the flames and save a total lo§s. Apart from this, however, the fact that the flames were allowed to spread and gut the brick building adjoining, seems to indicate incompetence. Again, the delay occasioned by the brigade taking the wrong direction to the Archer Street fire might easily have resulted in another total loss. Such a state of affairs must occasion apprehension in the minds of property owners in the borough, not to speak of the insurance companies who will be raising their premium rates in the district if there are any more such instances. —I am, etc.. NERO. Masterton. June 22. 1 COUNCIL AND BRIGADE. (To the Editor.) Sir. —Have the Borough Council any say in the management of our Fire Brigade? For instance, suppose the Fire Board levy this year is £2OO more than last year, can the Borough Council refuse to pay it, or will they tack the £2OO extra on to the rates next year? —I am. etc., CURIOUS. ("The Masterton Borough Council has two representatives on the Fire Board.” observed the Town Clerk, Mr T. T. Denbee, when the above matter was referred to him, "and we expect our representatives to keep the board’s estimates as low as they can. The estimates are apportioned between the insurance companies and the borough, with a small Government subsidy. As it is a levy we have no power to refuse payment, which is met out of the general rates.”)