E.P.S. ORGANISATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1941, Page 5

E.P.S. ORGANISATION

ARRANGEMENTS FOR PARADES AND ASSEMBLIES CHANGE OVER TO MONDAY FOR DRILLING. TEST MUSTER ON APRIL 21. At a meeting of the E.P.S. executive committee held last evening it was decided to make some alteration in the existing arrangements regarding parades and assemblies. In future B Company will parade at the Mascot Motor Garage as a drill unit only, fortnightly on alternate Mondays, commencing on April 28 instead of Thursdays. This change of night was agreed upon by those attending the last parade. The change-over will enable the use of military equipment on evenings not in conflict with Home Guard drill nights. As mentioned above. B Company will henceforth be a drill unit - exclusively. It will afford to every member of the E.P.S. the opportunity of military training in the same manner as that carried out by the Home Guard, and it is confidently anticipated that the fortnightly parades will continue to be well attended. It will not embrace any E.P.S. duties. The committee now recognises; that while some divisions of the EiP.S. call for instructional classes or require a completely developed scheme entailing detailed preparation, other units or even divisions, whose members perform duties which would fall to their lot in the E.P.S. in their normal everyday tasks, have not the same need to attend parades or classes. For instance, E.P.S. men on the staff of the Gasworks, Powei- Board, Borough engineer’s staff, P. and T. staff, normal Hospital staff and permanent Police and Fire Brigade staff would, in the event of an emergency, perform for the most part their normal occupations. On the other hand, divisions such as the transport, supply and accommodation and evacuation require some more constructive organisation, although ultimately a stage is reached where little more can be done in anticipatory preparation for an emergency. Then again, there are units which call for training from the ground up, such as emergency firemen, first aid training, the training of special constables, instruction in public health and sanitation, etc. These units will continue regular instructional classes until the controllers in charge are satisfied that a completely trained unit has been established.

Apart from the regular parades of the drill unit (B Company) and the regular classes of the special units of the E.P.S. requiring the same, it is proposed to call a complete muster parade of the whole E.P.S. strength once every two or perhaps three months, when men will assemble in their respective divisions at their specific assembly points. They will thus make themselves familiar with the latter, and know definitely where to report to in the event of an emergency.

To enable the full strength of establishment to be completed, each controller is to check off with the enrolments of his particular division his key men, and those he regards as necessary to make up his complete establishment.

Enrolments in excess of each division’s establishment will be utilised to fill vacancies in other divisions., any surplus above the total establishment being a reserve to be availed of as occasion requires.

A full muster arranged for Monday evening next at 5.15 p.m. is required so that each member of the E.P.S. will know where he is to assemble in the event of an emergency and to whom he is to report for duty. This assembly should only take a very few minutes but the committee would like to see a full muster to check up on attendance.

Those men who have been attending n.c.o. classes are specially requested to attend at the Municipal Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday next. The E.P.S. will parade at 10.30 a.m. at Essex Street on Friday next to take part in the Anzac parade.