Where night drills or joint exercises are necessary as, for example,
in conjunction with auxiliaries or volunteers, who are only available
at night or week-ends for this purpose, regard should be paid to the
routine working hours of the personnel affected and adjustments made
accordingly. It is considered that no duties other than those of testing
of appliances and necessary station cleaning should be undertaken on
Sundays or public holidays, or after 12 noon on Saturdays. Regard
should also be paid to the provision of some relief from routine duty
for such personnel who are detailed to perform watchroom or any
special duty directly following the termination of routine working
hours. Arrangements should be made for watchroom personnel covering
the night hours to be provided with facilities to rest providing that
they are immediately available to carry out their duties. In brigades
of the C category and below employing full time personnel, it is not
considered necessary to man the watchroom during the day when
personnel are working in or about the station as the provision of a loud
ringing bell would suffice.

In order that the work of the station can be equitably shared and
properly conducted, it should be planned and thoroughly understood
so that each aspect can in turn receive its necessary attention. Other
than the work occasioned by fires necessitating the repair and extra
cleaning of equipment used, the routine should be arranged progressively.
Normal fire service drills and training should be undertaken for at
least one hour of the routine duty period of each working day. In
inclement weather this should be replaced by indoor drills or lectures.
Where personnel are required to perform outside duties, such as hydrant
inspection or testing of fire alarms, this should be arranged during
routine hours and for such duties as salvage work, standing by after
fires, or watching duties, adequate compensation should be given from
routine hours or time off given instead.

PART VII—EXAMINATION AND INTER-BRIGADE PROMOTION PROCEDURE

26. The Fire Service Council in accordance with section 8 ($h$) of
    the Act is required to facilitate inter-brigade promotion. The classification
    and grading of officers referred to in clause 3 of this Code
    outlines a chain of officer responsibilities and the Council has already
    adopted a procedure in connection with the appointment of executive
    officers, having regard to its responsibility to approve of the executive
    officer appointments pursuant to section 40 (2) of the Act. In some
    brigades examinations exist for firemen advancing to second and first
    class grades, and these should continue to be conducted within brigades.
    It will be necessary, however, to introduce, concurrent with a training
    scheme, promotion examinations of a standard character for sub-officer
    and station officer rank in order that all officers and potential officers
    shall be equally qualified. Those promotion examinations would require
    to be set on a national basis by Fire Service Council officers in conjunction
    with a panel of Chief Fire Officers. The examinations should
    be held locally at fixed periods say twice a year, and members of the
    service who qualify would, subject to satisfactory practical tests and
    appropriate length of service, be eligible for officer appointment in any
    brigade. The appropriate examination of either the Institution of Fire
    Engineers or the New Zealand Officers' and Members' Institute should be
    regarded as equivalent qualifications for exemption from the written
    section of the examination. The marking and adjudication of such
    examinations would be conducted by a selected panel of Chief Officers
    in conjunction with the Council's staff.

PART VIII—BRIGADE ACCOMMODATION

27. In A, B, and C Class districts the principal station will provide
    accommodation for three or more appliances according to the class of
    district and the number of special appliances to be provided for. In
    the secondary stations the accommodation will depend on the character
    and classification of the area served and the provision required for
    reserve appliances and equipment. In all cases the stations should
    include provision for married firemen. The number of dwellings will
    depend on the land available and other circumstances at each station,
    but as an objective not less than two-thirds of the permanent brigade
    establishment should be provided for. In Class D districts, stations
    will provide accommodation for either one or two appliances according
    to local requirements, and in most Class E districts a single-bay station
    will suffice. In the larger secondary centres where the growth of the
    town is tending to separate the commercial centre by any considerable
    distance from the housing area in which the volunteer firemen live,
    consideration should be given to the provision of dwelling accommodation
    on the station property for married volunteer firemen. In most
    of the stations providing for volunteer brigades in districts of Class E
    or above, consideration should be given to the provision of accommodation
    on the station for a limited number of single volunteer firemen.
    Reasonable facilities for recreation should be provided on all stations.
    A descriptive memorandum and type plans of fire stations suitable for
    each class of district are available from the Council on request. When