CAB11-57-10 — Page 100

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CHAPTER VI (i) and (ii),

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Fire Brigade.-A fire brigade exists, composed of 1 Superintendent, 1 Assistant- Superintendent, 10 British and 3 Chinese Engineers, 7 British Foremen, and 22 British and 48 Chinese Firemen,

There are also attached to the brigade an Inspector and Assistant-Inspector, for the purpose of attending to the storage of dangerous goods, but they do not do any other brigade work.

The brigade is manned by members of the police force, who receive extra remune- ration, and are available for attending fires when off duty only. The places of most of the policemen would have to be filled in war time by civilian volunteers, who would, it is assumed, come forward in large numbers to supplement the brigade, which forms an efficient nucleus.

For the purpose of fire prevention and control, the city of Victoria is divided into three districts-Western, Central, and Eastern, the limits of which are fixed at the Harbour Office and Murray Barracks. On the occasion of a fire the locality is notified by three tolls of the bell for the Western, two for the Central, and one for the Eastern district.

The headquarters of the brigade are at No. 5 station in Queen's Road, Central, and in it are kept all the stores and the engines that are not located elsewhere. A certain number of European and Chinese firemen also sleep here, and the assistant engineer, who is responsible for the upkeep of the engines and appliances, is perma- nently located at this station.

The other and subsidiary stations are at the police stations at West Point, Wanchai, Yaumati, Sai-ki-Wan, and Aberdeen.

There are also numerous places in different parts of the town where fire dispatch boxes are kept. There are barrows supplied with 300 feet of hose, and all necessary appliances for at once making use of street hydrants. They were specially designed for dealing with fires on the high levels.

In addition to the dispatch boxes, the brigade possesses four land steam-engines and one floating engine; it also possesses some manual engines which are kept in the various out-villages.

The brigade is so organized and distributed as to form an excellent nucleus for expansion in time of war, by means of civilian volunteers to any extent that may be required, under the supervision of the superintendent.

The naval and military establishments and barracks are in addition well supplied with their separate fire-engines, &c., which could be utilized in their immediate neigh- bourhood.

It may

be well to note that unless the entrances to the harbour are forced, or an attacking force armed with modern guns comes from China, the city of Victoria is safe from the fire of hostile

guns.

(8.)-Action by Principal Civil Medical Officer.

The Principal Civil Medical Officer will have action to take in connection with the provision of additional medical practitioners and of accommodation in the civil hospital for sick and wounded. Immediately on the outbreak of hostilities it will be his duty to place himself in immediate communication with the P.M.O., to whom he will give every assistance which can be rendered by himself or his staff.

(ii) Harbour Traffic Regulations.

General.

1. The arrangements necessary for regulation of traffic, and the harbour arrange- ments on the outbreak of war, may be considered under the following sub-heads

(i.) Arrangements necessary on the outbreak of war to keep clear the field of fire in front of the defences.

(ii.) Arrangements for regulating the traffic in the harbour, these being only put in force by the Governor, on the recommendation of the G.O.C., and with the concurrence of the Naval Commander-in-chief or Senior Naval Officer present.

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