GENERAL SURVEY OF THE YEAR
An analysis of the 27,000 ‘Emergency' calls responded to by the Depart- ment during the year has demonstrated more noticeably than hitherto the multi-purpose character of the services provided to the public. For the first time the number of persons (488) removed to safety at ‘Special Service' incidents has exceeded by 391 rescues at fires.
2. At the end of the 1962-63 fire season (which, due to recurrent periods of low humidity, had resulted in an all time record in outbreaks of fires) the Service looked forward to the summer of 1963 providing a period of normality when opportunity could be taken to service and repair appliances and equipment damaged during the preceding fire season. However, this was not to be, as the continuing drought provided the Service with additional 'Special Services' of a different and unusual character.
3. In no territory, with fire and life risks such as those existing in the Colony, has a Fire Service been required to plan for the tactical problems likely to be encountered due to water mains being empty for days at a time.
4. By July 1963, stringent water rationing had created in a number of buildings a critical shortage of flushing water, and the Service was called upon to apply its viable resources in pumping equipment and manpower to avoid a breakdown in sanitation systems.
5. Within a few weeks of the one day in four rationing policy, per- sonnel of the Fire Service Workshops converted lorries on loan from the Government Pool into mobile tankers which, together with water carriers from the Urban Services Department and fire appliances, were used between June and December 1963 to transport nearly 10 million gallons of salt and non-potable water. Additionally, Fire Service pumping equipment was utilized to take advantage of the potable water offered to Government by naval vessels of varying nationalities when visiting the Colony.
6. Concurrently with these activities, Senior Commanders and plan- ning staff at Fire Services Headquarters commenced work on devising methods which would mitigate the technical problems with which the
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