Fire Vol 5 no2

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ISSN 2324-2779 Volume 5 Issue 2 Mar 2014– May 2014 Established 2010

NEWSLETTER OF THE AUCKLAND AUCKLAND FIRE BRIGADE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Editorial In This Issue: Recently while checking through some newly acquired scrapbooks I came across an article on our patron Allan Bruce and decided that this would be the focus for this issue.

As many of you know Allan was instrumental in implementing many changes to the Auckland Brigade during his time as Regional Commander. Many brigades south of the Bombay’s would see new trucks heading their way only to find that they continued through their patch on the way to Auckland. The “Scope” only happened because of Allan’s recommendation and there was many other innovations as well.

If you want to find out more about him and his Fire Service life the society still has some of his books available “Into the line of Fire.

The tumultuous years of New Zealand Fire Brigades from 1947-2009.” contact us for more information.

We are always on the lookout for old photos of vehicles, staff and incidents so if you have any please let us know. We can copy and return them to you and share them on our web or Facebook pages (all will be credited) We have received some very interesting shots from the late 40’s recently from Alan Jacobson (UK) whose father was in the brigade for a brief time before returning to the England. It amazing where items are turning up from!

Our Facebook page now has over 570 likes and we are getting many requests from individuals and companies looking for information on those who served, vehicle and station histories and even details of fires from the past. If you have not checked it or our web page out, have a look as they are many interesting photos and information being posted.

Web: www.afbhs.co.nz Facebook: Auckland Fire Brigade Historical society Colin

The Last Fire Call At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.

Bert Taplin, Allan Tasker, Stewart Thomas, Jim Thompson, Don Tinker, Can “Ponk” Upton, Derek Varley, Tom Varley, Peter Vedder, “Porky” Walker, Tony Walsh, George Watt, Derek Webb, Paul Webster, Wally Welland, Norm Whiting, Arch Williamson, Ernie Wilson, Lloyd Wilson, Peter Wilson, Peter Wilton, Jack Worgan, Norm Wright, Ken Young, John Young Part of a list of “Extinguished Firefighters” Auckland region post 1955 supplied by gOld watch.

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Patron Allan Bruce AFSM, FIFireE Management Superintendent: Roger Callister Dep. Superintendent: Paul Turner ,NZFS Liaison Secretary/Editor: Colin Prince Treasurer: Laurie Thompson Committee Peter (Sprats) Doughty Kevin Farley Grant Manning Forbes Neil John (High-rise) Walker Gary (GT) Walker Web Master Brendon Pascoe NZFS Ex Officio Member: Brian Butt, Fire Region Manager Correspondence To: Auckland Fire Brigade Historical Society P.O Box 68-444 Newton, Auckland 1145, NZ membership@afbhs.co.nz Website: www.afbhs.co.nz Like us on Facebook Membership fees: Full: $15.00 Associate: $10.00 (overseas) Brigade/Corporate: $50.00 Membership year: 1 April—31 March Membership NZ Federation of Historical Societies MOTAT Society—Affiliate UFBA—Associate member Registered Charity number: CC45510

brigades into the New Zealand Fire Service under a three man fire commission. "We believed for a long time that, as well as having operational command, fire officers given the right training were well capable of taking full administrative responsibility too. "In the years since we have proved that. We are now run along much the same lines as the police.

Fire officers' duties have expanded well beyond fire fighting — they are called to handle a wide range of rescue and emergency work.

Units have been equipped and officers trained to free people trapped in crashed cars, make cliff rescues, deal with chemical spills — "there has been an incredible increase in them' — and to control gas leaks.

"I think it's an excellent use of manpower and resources. We have the people and equipment ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in all areas to handle emergencies.

The equipment Mr Bruce has helped to select and modify has come from many parts of the world.

The fire engine units copied from overseas are now being built in New Zealand and are considered so good they have been ordered by Australian brigades.

The snorkel and aerial scope — "the pride of the New York fire service" — came from the United States, breathing apparatus from West Germany and material for fire fighting clothing from the United States. The ladders are still English design but much of the operational procedures were picked up in Hong Kong, Japan and the US. The regional commander helped introduce more sophisticated fire-fighting tactics and was even responsible earlier for introducing volleyball as a regular training exercise at all stations.

More recently a Bruce study tour on the risks and safety requirements associated with a growing petro-chemical industry resulted in a substantial report with many recommendations being actioned at the moment. "It's a very contentious field. My own view is that LPG and other associated products, with their hazards, are obviously essential to the country's future.

Provided we get adequate planning and training to the right level we can live with these problems in the future "The main thing is to co-ordinate all the interested parties, the oil companies, the Natural Gas Corporation, the refineries, chemical works, Ministry of Energy and the New Zealand Fire Service and get the whole industry on a similar basis to the UK where the industry has formed a training board. " Probably the most important thing for the future in Auckland is to ensure that fire prevention and fire safety keep pace with the industrial development and expansion of the city, he says. "This is particularly so in relation to the new pipeline from Whangarei to storage at Win.

Experience into practice A senior Auckland fire officer says Alan Bruce is to the New Zealand Fire Service what Montgomery was to the Allied army in the Western Desert.

The comparison may be far-fetched but it is a sign of the respect firefighters have for the northern region commander — the man involved in many of the changes which revolutionised the New Zealand fire service.

It is probably also an indication of why Mr Bruce (52) has now been given the top job in the South Australian Fire Service. The South Australians are taking the same step New Zealand took six years ago, uniting the many independent fire brigades into one fire service — a service run by fire officers rather than by boards of local citizens. And Mr Bruce — an "ideas man" who helped introduce much of the new equipment, firefighting tactics and operational and administration methods which gave the NZFS its highly professional approach — is seen as the man to coordinate changes there.

For the last 20 years of his 35 years in firefighting, Mr Bruce has also been the man in charge at many of the biggest and worst fires in Auckland. In 1963 he took a fire party out to Motuihe Island to tackle a blaze in the hold of the MV Suffolk while it was loaded with explosives. He was Auckland's fourth fire officer at the time of the well-remembered Farmers' bulk store blaze in 1964 but ended up in charge when all his superiors were taken to hospital.

Greatest contribution

For all that, firemen say Mr Bruce's greatest contribution has been his work in helping revamp and modernise their role and equipment, making the NUS into what he believes is "one of the finest in the world".

The son of a former Wellington fire chief, Mr Bruce joined that brigade in 1947 and then did several years training and working with the blitz-experienced London Fire Brigade, returning as an instructor at the newly-formed national training school in 1956.

Three years later he was hack on operational duties as deputy chief of the North Shore Brigade before shifting to the Auckland Fire Brigade as fourth officer and climbing through the ranks to command the whole region from Mercer to North Cape.

The changes in the fire fighting scene in the past 10 years have been considerable. It is difficult to learn the extent of Mr Bruce's influence on those changes but colleagues say it was considerable.

New Zealand's many fire brigades were traditionally based on the set-up of those in England. He won a Commonwealth Institute Fire Engineering scholarship and the recommendations he made after a study tour of operational methods in Hong Kong, JaSpecial problems pan and the US helped introduce the present system of High rise buildings and massive industrial developcoded radio messages and graded alarms.

To Mr t3ruce, the biggest and most critical in- ment created special problems in Auckland. During the past year Mr Bruce has watched over the restrucnovation came in 1976 with the amalgamation of all 2

turing of the fire service in Auckland into four divisions — central, northern, western and southern bringing an even closer comparison with the police service. But there is still one difference from the police set up which rankles Mr Bruce. The top job in the service, chairman of the fire commission, is still an outside appointment.

“If I have one criticism of the fire service it is that it is still not possible for a fire officer to climb through the ranks to the top job. It is an open secret that Mr Bruce was a likely candidate for a second-to-top job as one of the two fire commissioners when a vacancy occurred later this year.

Mr Bruce sees his appointment to the South Australian position with a staff of 800 as a compliment to the New Zealand Fire Service which he says is now in "really good shape."

• 1971. The Freeman's Bay petro-chemical tank blaze. Three of Mr Bruce's men received commendations after they took a hoseline up to the top of the burning tank and put out the fire. "It was a relatively small tank but it was right in the middle of the others. It was a hazardous situation with great potential (for explosion)."

• 1973. The night almost every avail-able fireman in Auckland was engaged in fighting two third alarm fires at once. "I was driving out to the first fire at an Otahuhu motor assembly plant with my deputy when the second call to a fire in a New Lynn furniture factory came in." About 50 fire appliances were used as about 140 firemen fought the two fires: "We were really stretched. If a third fire had occurred we probably would not have had anything left to send."

• The firebombing of the UTA Air-lines office in Commerce St in 1972 at the time of anti-French nuclear pro-tests.

"Firebombing is one of the increasing problems of our society."

• Another firebombing in 1976. Two incendiary devices were planted in Australis House, Quay St. One went off and caused a major fire. Fire officers found the second one with its timing device still going as they were fighting the fire."' A bomb disposal expert dragged the live bomb outside and detonated it in the street.

• 1964 Farmers Bulk Store fire. "More than 30 officers were injured, overcome by heat, smoke and exhaustion. I was fourth officer at the time but I ended up in charge when the others were hospitalised." The massive fire took two days to control and Mr Bruce also needed eye treatment at Auckland Hospital after it was over.

• The 1966 crash of a DC8 aircraft at Auckland International Airport. Two crewmen died and three others were injured when the plane crashed during a training flight. After the crash there were several explosions and flames swept through the plane. "It's doubtful if any passengers would have survived if they had been on the plane." Crash fire services were on the scene almost immediately and, backed later by nine other appliances, used a mass attack of foam and water to beat the fire.

Difficult saves stick in the mind Auckland has seen some spectacular fires in the past 20 years and the man in charge of fighting many of them was Regional Commander Alan Bruce.

He reflected on some of them as he prepared to leave for Australia but he pointed out that fires which stuck most in his mind were often ones where his men had made difficult "saves" which often did not get as much publicity as those where major damage was done, or lives lost. .

• The MV Suffolk fire off Motuihe Island in 1963 where fire broke out in the hold of the ship unloading explosives for Kawakawa Bay. "It was always a tricky situation. 1 took a crew and equipment out to the t - ship ... There is not a lot of time to think about the danger when you are r involved in an incident like that."

It took firemen three days to control the fire, flooding the hold with carbon dioxide to gain access.

• The Auckland Power Board substation fire on Christmas Day 1966. "I think it put paid to most of the Christmas dinners in Auckland. "That was a really nasty fire involving electrical equipment and oil in the basement of the substation. It was extremely difficult to control. We were driven out several times by the intense heat." Firemen used high expansion foam for the first time in New Zealand and it gave the protection and cooling to finally allow them to put out the fire.

Auckland Star article 27 February 1982 3

Photo Gallery

City station crew taken in the late 40’s . Alan Jacobson Collection

Pump outside Mt Albert station late 1940’s. Alan Jacobson collection 4