AUXILIARY FIRE SERVICE.
37. The Auxiliary Fire Service, being a branch of the Essential Services Corps, was formed during the year. Enrolment into this Service has progressed steadily and the strength now stands at 350 members. There are many vacancies in senior posts of Station Officer and above, and of Watchkeepers, and enrolment for these posts still continues to be slow, the policy being to enroll only those with previous experience or who have the ability to hold such posts.
38. Training has been greatly improved with the temporary second- ment of an expatriate officer as Training and Enrolment Officer to the Auxiliary Fire Service and it is now considered that at least 50% of the Service is highly efficient and can be relied upon to perform excellent work in an emergency. Lectures have been delivered to permanent and auxiliary officers by expatriate officers of the Service. These lectures were highly appreciated and valuable knowledge gained. Training con- tinues on four evenings each week, Friday evenings now being allocated to an Officers' Class.
39. Equipment, ordered under the Civil Defence scheme, has been slowly arriving for this Service and it is hoped that on arrival of the new trailer fire pumps, the auxiliary Fire Service will be able to operate as a valuable unit in all emergencies.
40. During the year under review, several members of the Auxiliary Fire Service have been congratulated and thanked by the Chief Officer, for services rendered in many of the large fires that occurred.
RESCUE SQUAD.
41. The Rescue Squad will operate as a separate unit to the regular and Auxiliary Fire Service, enrolment and training having recently com- menced under a regular Fire Brigade officer.
AUXILIARY FIRE SERVICE & RESCUE SQUAD TRAINING DEPOT.
42. A section of the Arsenal Yard, formerly used by the Vegetable Marketing Organization, has been completely renovated for training auxiliary personnel. An imitation derelict house has been constructed with other erections for demonstration purposes, for the Rescue Squad.
43. A telephone has been installed in an Auxiliary Fire Station at the Depôt and with the advancement of training it is hoped that an Auxiliary Fire Squad will man the Station and operate with the regular Service during week-ends.
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