596

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

[No. 24

PART IV—BRIGADE ESTABLISHMENT

11. The strength of each brigade, exclusive of executive and specialist officers, should be based on the normal turnout of one officer or sub-officer and four men on each appliance. This turnout standard cannot be applied with mathematical accuracy, particularly in the case of the permanent staff brigades, but should be regarded rather as a guide to establishment. In the metropolitan cities a number of suburban stations are located closer to adjacent stations than will be called for by the classification of the area. Some of them have not the necessary accommodation for the minimum staff of nine men required under the present industrial conditions to provide the turnout crew of five. Unless and until relocation and rebuilding of stations is practicable it will be necessary to keep running some of the existing appliances surplus to the strict classification requirements and to regard the manpower turnout from two or more out-stations as one first attendance crew for classification purposes. Topographical features also present special difficulties. Adjustment of the turnout from individual stations may be necessary to meet these conditions. In the secondary cities and in the large towns it is not economically practicable to maintain on duty sufficient permanent staff to man the appliances required under the classification for first attendance and auxiliary or volunteer staff must be relied on. The slower turnout of appliances manned partly or wholly by non-permanent or off-duty men is, however, relevant to the number and type of difficult property risks found in these centres. The volunteer-brigade system provides satisfactory protection for the lower category districts. The establishment normally required should in every case have regard to holiday arrangements and the percentage of a brigade available for daytime turnout.

PART V—BRIGADE ORGANIZATION

STRENGTH OF OFFICERS AND MEN (PERMANENT STAFF)

12. (1) Firemen and Sub-officers.—All brigades employing permanent personnel operate on the 48 hours on - 24 hours off duty system, with extended leave of 56 days per annum for both officers and men. In order to maintain a constant availability of 5 men per first attendance appliance (excluding executive officers) after making appropriate allowance for day leave, extended leave, sickness, outside duties, watch-room duties, etc., at least 9 men are necessary. As each individual man is on duty 206 days per year, 1,825 man days are required. In the case of those stations required to maintain 2 or more pump appliances as first attendance and which requires appropriate crews, it is possible to reduce the total strength from 9 men per appliance, as outside, watch-room, and other extraneous duties can be spread over a larger number of personnel. The following table, therefore, sets out the strength of men that appears to be required in those brigades relying solely on permanent men such as those in the A, B, and some of the C classification brigades:

1 pump attendance 9 men including 1 Sub-officer.

2 pump attendance 17 men including 2 Sub-officers.

3 pump attendance 24 men including 3 Sub-officers.

These numbers can be reduced where auxiliary or volunteer personnel are available to make up the first turn-out crews within the time limits of attendance shown in clause 7 of this Code.

In regard to special appliances such as turntable ladders and emergency and salvage tenders which are maintained in the larger brigades and which it is considered necessary to keep fully manned to supplement the first attendance for hazardous fire risks, etc., an extra allowance of permanent men is required. For this purpose a minimum crew should be two men for each such appliance, and to maintain two men constantly available 4 men would be the maximum strength required for each such appliance.

In the case of auxiliaries or volunteers who can be utilized to make up the first attendance appliances, a basis of 2½ men should be provided for each permanent man, allowing for the non-availability leave, etc., of such personnel who obviously have their normal occupations, generally amounting to at least 40 hours per week.

(2) Officers.—Based on the 48/24 hour duty system and with the same annual leave as the firemen, the numbers required would be in accordance with the following table: