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paper was presented to the members of a Senior Station fficers promotional course by retired District Ofi.cer J.B. (Basil) Smith at a dinner held at the Victoria Police This

Academy.

Thank you Mr tonight.

Griffin. It is an honour

and a privilege to have been asked to speak to you

It is of no value to always think in the past, we must think of the present and look to the future, however I do believe it is of interest to know what life was about in by- gone days; some here tonight may agree with me, others may not. Each generation must strive to add to what the previous generation has achieved. We cannot sit back and enjoy what we have inherited, we must strive to improve upon it. From what I have observed since retiring I do believe you are doing just that, improving upon it.

When I was asked to speak, I wondered - I decided to do a bit of each.

if I should read from my notes or go off the cuff

EARLY DAYS I joined the Metropolitan Fire Brigade on the 15th November, t946. Prior to the 2nd World War I had very limited work opportunities. I had approximately 1 year of work in 4 years since leaving school. In 1943 as a member of the Army, in New Guinea, I wrote to the Brigade and asked if I could join the Brigade when I was eventually discharged. They replied and said to come and see them when the war was over. I did so and spent the next 37 years with the Brigade; this was a decision that I have never regretted.

In the year I joined, the last of the firefighters of the horse days were retiring. One that comes to mind is Senior Firefighter Bonnie Lewis. He worked in the hose cellar in his latter years. On his retirement he told us of the horses - when the fre bells went on the horse stall doors opened and the horses trotted out and got into position in the shafts. "Trojanl' was the lead horse but if one of the other horses got in the front position before him he would sulk, turn around and go back into the stall and had to be lead out again. Response time in those days would not have been the best. The Deputy Chief Officer at the time, Mr Lou Paterson, was another horseman, he used to say "Golly gosh they were filthy things". The hay loft was where the watchroom now is, in the old station. The tower was manned 24 hours a day.

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1946 the building regulations for the height of buildings was 132 feet (41 metres) approx. The Manchester Unity Building at the comer of Collins and Swanston was the highest building for many years, until they changed the Regulations, then the sky was the limit. The Leyland Ladder when fully extended reached a height of 126 feet (38 metres), so it was adequate in those days.

When I joined, Officers and Firefighters worked 96 hours a week, having just been reduced from 108 hours. The senior married men and Officers lived in Brigade quarters, others lived in houses near fire stations (they had bells installed), some manied men lived as single men and visited home on leave days, single men either had a single room, shared a room or lived in a dormitory.

My leave days were Monday, Wednesday and Friday on a continuous duty system, 24 hours at a time. My yearly salary then was e348-6-0, my tax was e43-17-0, I paid C13-00 for quarters (dormitory) and group insurance and superannuation was 832-8-1. Just as a point of interest, one week-end in the Summer during my 48 hours on duty, I turned out 39 times to fires, further assistance fires and false alarms. At the time I was stationed at Ne 10 station, Hoddle Street, Abbotsford, in those days it was a District Station, it has been closed many years now.

2

The uniform in the 1940's and early '50's for Firefighters was breeches (serge cloth), boots and leggings (top boots of course), a blue coat, flat cap for working in and around the station. We were issued was a serge cloth undress tunic, it was double breasted with brass buttons, also issued were two turnout tunics. The cap badge was a brass M.F.B. Overcoats were not issued, there were two issued to a station. Firefighters were expected to have a white shirt and black tie at their own expense Station Officers upwards had a double breasted twill material navy blue suit and the cap badge was a woven gold thread M.F.B. Firefighters had to clean the Officers turnout gear and we had to supply our own Nugget and Brasso. This was preferred to the Tripoli supplied by the Brigade which was not really satisfactory as it was a cutting compound. Firefighters were also required to chop wood to keep the Officers wood boxes full and clean their windows.

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Ship duties were introduced, by the M.F.B., during the war and continued on for many years afterward. Firefighters were on duty on the ships if welding was being canied out or the ship was carrying hazardous materials. There was no Port Emergency Service in the war years; it was established about 1946 or L947. In the 1990's this service was disbanded. It was not uncommon for an Officer or Firefighter to turn out by themselves in the 1940's to do a ship duty.

The United Firefighters Union had a member of Parliament as its secretary in the 1940's, he was Mr John Crimeen.

In the 1940's, it may have been a carry-over from the war years when everyone helped one another, the wornen who lived in the proximity of a fire would bake scones and serve the Firefighters hot scones with butter and jam and cups of tea. There was no canteen back in that era, the Brigade only supplied a tea um and biscuits, the biscuits were that hard they could be sent tluough the post without being chipped. The Chief Officer used to say have a drink of water with the biscuit and it would swell in the stomach and you would not feel hungry. During the 2nd World War the Brigade was an "Essential Service" under the Manpower Act, this meant that no Officer or Firefighter could leave the Brigade to join the Armed Forces,

The Brigade in the 1940's was very much like a big family, everyone knew one another. It was very much a silent service, it did not mix with the comrnunity much at all in those days. If you were a bandsman, gyrrulast, league footballer, cyclist, or another type of leading sportsman you were practically assured of a position, provided you made the measurements and passed the medical examination.

In the early days, the outer Metropolitan area was grass and scrub. Scotch thistles (particularly in the Western and Northem suburbs) were a menace, this was the problem in the Sumrner months.

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Building wise, the factory floors were wooden, this was a hazard, particularly with flres of some consequence as with heavy machinery on them and the water from the hoses saturating the merchandise, the floor loading became excessive and often bought floor down upon floor. A District Officer and Firefighter were killed in the 40's when this happened. Many others at the same fire were fortunate to escape.

It also happened at a fire in the Allan's Building, in Collins Street, when five floors came down. The Chief Officer at the time, Mr Whitehead, gave the order to evacuate just

before the floors came down, fortunately no-one was injured. There is a brass plate at the entrance to Allan's relating to the fire. 1946 the strength of the Brigade was approximately 420 to 450 all ranks. Partially Paid Firefighters were employed by the Fire Brigade in the 1940's, they received a retainer fee and were paid for fire calls if they attended. They were also employed to man picture theatres in case a fire broke out. In the days before television, most suburbs had one or two theatres and central Melboume had many theatres. Fire Stations on the perimeter of the Metropolitan Fire District were manned during the day by a permanent Firefighter and if available a partially paid Firefighter. At night it was totally manned by the partially paid fireman.

In

There were big changes in the early 1950's. The United Firefighters Union applied for a reduction in hours from 96 to 56 hours, the Fire Board opposed it. When it eventually went to court the Judge shocked everyone and granted a 40 hour week, which were the hours industry was working then. He dicl not see why the Fire Brigade should be any different. The Board and the Union each had to make out a trial 40 hour roster and both had to be worked. In the end wfuen both had been worked by the Firefighters the Union roster was accepted and it was worked by Firefigltters until they went onto the hours they now work, the 10-14 system. There was also a great deal of unrest in the 50's, employment was easy to come by, resignations were common place. At times only five or six men plus Officers were available to man the appliances and do the work at Ne 1 Station. There was continual conflict between the Fire Brigades Board and the United Firefighters Union over industrial matters. The Board installed "press buttons" in all watchrooms in the early 50's. At No.1,2 & 3 stations they operated every 3 minutes. If the button was not pressed within 30 seconds the fire alarm operated. At District Stations it was every 8 minutes and if not pressed within 40 seconds the fire alarm operated whilst at out-stations it was 15 minutes - 40 seconds. The Union said they were not to be pressed and instructed Firefighters not to press them. When ordered to do so by the Chief Officer they refused on instructions from the Union. They were subsequently suspended by the Chief Officer; most of them were men with many years of service. The Union called meetings and the members was decided that a strike be called. When this occurred, the Fire Board dismissed everyone in the Union. The Officers remained on duty and manned the stations as they were in the Professional Fire Brigade Officers Association.

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When the strike began 23 Firefighters left the Union and went back to work. Eventually an examination was held for them, it was apparently of a poor standard, they all passed and joined the Officers Association. The Union never let up on them and for years after their names were printed in the Union paper in the column headed "Haloes and Hatchets". This was a black time in the history of the Fire Brigade and I do not believe it settled down until the last one retired. Some of the men did shocking things to them; they put sugar in petrol tanks, floor polish in helmets, acid on duco of cars, even took it out on memberJof their families; as I said a very black era in the history of the Brigade. The strike lasted for ten days and when it was eventually settled all firefighters were reinstated but the press buttons remained for many years.

From 1949 to 1959, three Valour Medals were awarded to men in the Brigade:- Station Officer Ian Draper at a ship fire - the "Elm Hill", Senior Firefighter Frank Scott - for rescuing a small girl from a disused mine at North Balwyn and Sub-Station Officer Ashley Stirling for rescuing a man from a tall chimney stack at Bacchus Marsh. The Officers hours had been reduced, in the 1950's, from 96 to 84 hours a week and at the begiruring of the 60's they were further reduced from 84 to 56 hours a week. This was worked on a continuous duty system of 24 hours and 48 hours off. This meant that the Officers could live in their own ltouses if they wished.

In the 1950's and 1960's there were quite a number of stop work meetings and work to regulations disruptions for various reasons. One that really affected not only those in the Brigade at that time, but Firefighters now was Superannuation. It was a pittance in those early days and the Brigade handled the ftrnd. In the 1970's F/m Tanner, a young firefighter from Western District, had a heart attack and died. He left a widow and two small children. His widow was allotted about $20 a week pension, after pressure from the Union it was increased slightly. After a long struggle, associated industrial problems and a march on Parliament House the superannuation we have today was granted by the Government and it has been improved upon since it was first granted. What with shorter hours for Officers and increased promotions, more firefighters were required. Eventually as more and more of the younger firefighters gained promotion they wanted to remain in the Union in preference to joining the Officers Association. ln time this eventuated and Officers and Firefighters now work under the same conditions. The early 1970's saw the formation of the Training Department and the building of the Training College. This I believe was the beginning of a new era in the Fire Brigade, women were recruited and trained for the Communications and in the 80's women were recruited and trained for firefiglrting.

In the early 1980's new and technical appliances started to come into the Brigade and the computer era commenced. The design of uniforms changed along with another change in the design of helmets. In closing I would like to mention the Metropolitan Fire Brigade badge. It was designed at the Training College by Station Officer Ray Griffith and myself. The report and a copy of the badge were forwarded to headquarters for approval or rejection, as we know now it was approved. The torch with the flame was added by Chief Fire Officer Ern Osborn€.

Drsctpr,ntp

.

You realise as well as I do

that yrui ::rust h.z.ve discipline in a,rrj lln,ii:i.n\:il ie,rvlce. Before being promoted in 1962 we did an administration course. Station Procedure and Discipline was done by DO Weaver. I can always remember his words on Discipline: "There must always be a fence between the Officer and the men, but there must also be a gate which is always left open, never have favourites on shift, treat every man the szune, treat them as you would like to be treated yourself. DO NOT LISTEN TO TALES. Some men have family problems, other do not, always listen, give advice if it is asked of, If but always treat it as confidential. You cannot command respect, you have to earn you are one of the boys one day and then the Officer the next you will never eam respect and you will never have discipline".

it!

When the Training Department was formed, Supt. Geddes the Officer in Charge asked DO Hook and myself to work out what form of discipline was to be applied at the Training College when it was opened. After investigation we decided that Army discipline would not be acceptable. We attended the Police Training Department, in St.Kilda Road and sudied their foim of discipline We decided to apply a modified version of their system to suit our Brigade. We would not allow an Officer or Instructor to be called by his christian name, it was to be his Rank, Mr or Sir. Trainees had to be correctly dressed at all times, if crossing the drill yards caps had to be worn. When being instructed on an appliance or equipment they were to be marched into position and stood at ease. There was to be no smoking in the drill yards with "smoko's" at prescribed times and butts were never seen in the yards. Squad drill was carried out every morning. We re-wrote the drill book and changed the squad drill from marching in 4's to marching in 3's which is the method followed by the Services and Police alike. Squad drill is a form of discipline - it requires an instant response to a command.

We certainly received "f1ak" at times from the Union when they wanted to lnow what we thought we were doing, training soldiers or firefighters. In those early pioneering years of the Training Department it was accepted and the standard of trainee we tumed out bought praise from the Fire Brigade Board, the Chief Fire Officer and the Union. When the recruits went on shift it was up to the Officers at the station to keep them at that level, but unfortunately it did not always work out that way, they slipped back. As time went by and facilities at the Training College increased, Officer Refresher Courses were introduced, Station Discipline was included in the courses and then it was left up to the individual Officer to apply it when he returned to his station.

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LrlnRRsgtp leadership is born in them. I also believe that they come to the fore in a crisis, where people have to be organised and led such as a war, floods, bushfires, structural fires, accidents, incidents etc.

I believe that leaders are bom, in other words

To elaborate on that; in the I970's there were Officer Candidate examinations being held at the Training College. [n those days the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Mr Steele, was the chairman of the panel. I asked him one day, "What do you look for when examining a candidate?", his answer was on these lines.

1.

That he will be able to carry out efficiently the responsibilities of the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board.

2.

That he will be able to represent the Chief Fire Officer in the community.

3.

That he will be capable of running a station - liaising with the public and can lead and handle men.

4.

That he knows his appliances and equipment and that he can impart his knowledge onto the men under his command.

Candidates - when making a decision at a fire or incident act on your first assessment of it, you can always adjust as you go along. It is like firing a rifle your first aim is always the best.

I often told Officer

I

used to say that an Officer should assess himself before putting in for further promotion. Officers would come to my office and ask my advice before putting in for further promotion. Some I advised to stay at their present rank because I felt they did not have the ability to take the next step at that time - many took the advice, others went on and

ried.

I would often remind

them that the higher up the promotional ladder you climb, the greater the responsibility - also for the extra money you will receive "The Employing Authority" want their kilo of flesh - in other words they expect more of you.

As an Officer goes further up the pyramid of promotion, he goes from being a leader of men at station level to being an ambassador for the Fire Brigade - he mixes more with the public and they judge the Brigade by the manner in which the Officer presents and conducts himself. They have always been my thoughts on the matter. Elizabeth houst - the City of Melbourne's Chief Executive Officer made the following statement in the Herald-Sun Newspaper on October 16, L992 - "There is a lack of collective will to turn any vision into action. We have no shortage of those willing to undertake a management role but unfortunately there are very few leaders".

7

TRntr\rlNc

Recruits in the 1940's and 50's always started in the Fire Brigade on Friday as it was the start of the pay week. When the hours changed from 96 to 40 hours more firefighters were required. Because of the number required they could not be trained in the yard at No I Station so they were trained in the parklands near the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. Here they received limited training with some only doing a few days before going on shift. Training returned to No 1 Station, eventually, but it was virtually impossible to continue training recruits there. This was due to the increase in the number of appliances using the yard and the station becoming busier. In the early 60's there were only 1 or 2 recruits being trained and it was extremely difficult to train such a small number to a satisfactory standard.

In the mid 60's a new venue for training was sought. An Industrial Officer had been appointed by the Fire Brigades Board and he, along with the Board and Union representatives formed the Training & Drills Committee. They looked at many venues and finally settled on No l0 Station (Richmond). It was a busy operational station and being modern it had a bigger yard than the average station.

of another change in hours and conditions atr increase in recruiting was necessary. At times in the late 60's there were 40 recruits being trained by one and sometimes two Instructors. The one lecture room at the station was inadequate for that number of iecruits and the amount and quzrlity of training they received was not really up to the standard we Because

would have liked.

In the Summer montirs, day after day, many of the recruits would be out on grass fire units fighting grass fires in the outer suburbs - recruits were not permitted to attend structural fires.

In 1970 the Training Department was formed in the Fire Brigade. Applications for Instructors were advertised and nine (9) volunteers were selected. The hours were to be on an 8 to 4 basis; Monday to Friday. The nine (9) selected volunteers were:Superintendent G.N. Geddes - Officer in Charge District Officer K.L. Hopper Station Officer P.l. Draper Station Officer A.E. Hook Station Officer A.J. Bayley Sub Station Officer J.B. Smith Sub Station Officer W. Moore

Senior Fireman S. Devlin Senior Fireman L. Coulsorr

The nine (9) selected were sent to an Instructional Course to be assessed as to their suitability to instruct and a report on each was sent to the Fire Brigades Board.

In the early 70's the first Recruit Course was conducted, this was the frst time that recruits had all been started on the same day for a Course. One of the early Courses contained many Vietnam Veterans, one of them was to become the present Chief. The then Recruit Firefighter, Jeff Godfredson, during the frst week of the Recruit Course approached one of the Instructors and asked where he could make enquiries to start studying for the I.F.E. Certificates. He was given the necessary information and took advantage of it.

In

1970 the first Officer Candidates Course was conducted at an old and dilapidated engineering factory in Anderson Road, Thornbury, which is now the Fire Brigade Workshops. The Course was conducted in the winter, the only heating was a 44 gallon drum with a fire in it in the back yard. The yard was the drill yard for pump and tumtable ladder drills. Rusting scrap metal was a hazard in the yard and State Electricity high voltage lines carrying 132,000 volts were suspended overhead. When doing turntable ladder drills it was not uncorrrmon to receive electric shocks when handling metal parts of the appliances due to these lines. One of the successful candidates of that Courses was the present Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mr Alan Richards. Another Officer Candidates Course commenced at Thornbury but because of the noise factor, due to the renovating by the Workshops staff, the Course was transferred to the Showgrounds where all lectures and instruction were carried out in the St. John's Ambulance pavilion. The practical training was done at various locations in the Showgrounds compiex. Considering all of the intemrptions there was a reasonable pass rate at the examinations.

The Fire Brigades Board had purchased land near the Yana River in Abbotsford on the comer of Victoria and Walmer Streets and requested its Training & Drills Committee to report upon requirements for a suitable Training College. The Fire Board accepted the T&D Committees report and the College was built in two stages. The flrst stage was completed in August 1972 and training was commenced, although lecture room space was still a problem until the second stage was completed and operating in 1975. It was far superior to what we had experienced at No 1 and 10 Stations, Thornbury and Showgrounds.

I

believe that as the years have gone by the standard of training and insruction has improved considerably. I felt that when I retired in 1983 that the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was equal to, if not better than, any other State in Australia in its training methods and I hope it will go on to be equal to any in the world. It can only go on to a higher standard if the Instmctors apply themselves to the task with energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and leadership. To have a library as there is at the Training College must be a great asset to those studying for further advancement and for instructors.

ExlulNnrroNs Examinations for promotion were few and far between in the 1940's and 50's, usually one every 12 or 18 months. To be eligible you had to have completed 5 years service. There was only one promotional examination and that was from Fireman to Sub-Station Officer, as the rank was then known, by passing the exarnination and it being announced in a memorandum you became a Senior Fireman. If you did not sit for the examination you became a Senior Fireman by time (eight years). There were no other promotional courses, promotion to Station Officer was by seniority or if an Officer had one or both I.F.E. certificates, the one with the I.F.E. was more often than not promoted, this often caused a great deal of dissension and there were usually appeals to the Board. Eventually an Appeals Tribunal was set up by the Government and this helped to solve the situation. The same procedure was adopted for promotion from Station Officer to District Officer. For the rank of Superintendent and upwards to Chief Fire Officer the Officer had to have the two I.F.E. certificates. Station Officer and District Officer Courses were not introduced until after the Training College was established. In the days prior to the Training Department being formed it was extremely difficult to study and prepare yourself for examinations. For the educational section of the examination, "school" was conducted by the Fire Brigades Board on a Monclay and Thursday frorn 4 to 6pm. 'fhe teacher was Mr Cleorge Rowney, a high school teacher, he taught I.F.E. students and Officer candidates. The practical section was up to the candidate, who applied for permission to attend "Big Drill" of a Wednesday moming at Ne 1 Station. This way he was able to get 5 to 10 minutes practice at instructing a squad on either squad drill or hose drill. If he was really fortunate he may have had a pump or ladder drill. The usual procedure was for a few mates who were studying to get together and meet in a park and hear each others drills, standing well back and calling out the drill in a loud voice. They would sometimes go to a fire station and work out a description of a piece of gear or an appliance. Some Officers and firemen were helpful, some would make up the numbers for a hose drill or listen to you call out the drills, but these were few and far between. Wives were a great help, they would listen while the drills were recited by the husband. The wives would often say they should go for the examination as they knew the drills better than the husbands. Once the Training Department was formed with improved training facilities and courses were established, the standard started to improve. The provision of this new facility not only enabled candidates to improve their standard of presentation but morale improved immensely.

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StnuoN LtFc Under the 96 hour system in the 1940's most fire stations had a billiard table. In those days we contributed into a type of "recreation fund", I think it was 3 pence a week and it was compulsory. This was used to buy the billiard tables and other equipment for fire stations. The civilians who lived near the station would come in of a night and have a game, toumaments were held.

The "water joeys", aS we called them, were tlle mafurtenance men from the Board of Works who would drop in for a cup of tea. They were always encouraged as they could be relied on to call in and notify the station if water was off in an area. If there was a fire they would turn up and point out hydrants. They certainly were a great help. Their method of transport was bicycles with tumcock tools strapped to the cross bar. The hot water for all stations was supplied by coke lteaters which were stoked by the firefighters. Neighbours used to come to the stations with buckets to get hot water for washing dishes and bathing as not all houses had hot water services in those days. Street fire alarms and private fire alarms in buildings had to be tested every second day. This task fell to the junior man on the station who, in the early days had to test all of the alarms for most of the stations in the District. The distance around the alarms was somewhere in the vicinity of 20 miles. Later the testing of the alarms was shared tiy all stations. Fire hydrarrts also had to be inspected and indicated regularly and, like the alarms, were tested by firefiglrters on bicycle.

Friday was the District Officers inspection day. Everything had to be "spot on", helmets, turnout tunics and top boots on the pegs had to be spotless and all hanging the same with the buttons on the tunics facing out so that they could be seen.

All relevant books had to be laid out on the watchroom desk and the Officer had to have a satisfactory answer for anything amiss with the books or on the station. The only heating was a single bar radiator in the watcluoom. Later on, kerosene heaters replaced the radiators as the electricity was too costly. If the electricity account was excessive the Officers received a "please explain" from the General Office.

11

AI,PI,IANCF]S

&

EOUIPN{ENT

When I joined the Brigade all of the appliances and equipment were pre-war, in other words the 1930's era. Because the world was on a war footing, ships, aeroplanes, tanks and vehicles were being mass produced from 1939 to 1945, so the Fire Brigade had to make the most of what they had and persevere until the war ended. The Leyland Metz L,adder was commissioned by the M.F.B in 1938. It is interesting to note that the turret for the ladder was actually a gun turret of German design. Practically everything on the appliance was brass; lights, radiator, couplings and trimmings. Appliances were mainly open constnrction but Ne's L,2 + 3 Stations had enclosed Hose Carriages and Combination Ladder appliances also. These were mostly built on Fargo chassis. Nearly all out stations had open appliances built in the main on Morris Commercial chassis. These, like the Leyland Ladder, had their fittings, trimmings and equipment made of either brass or gun metal and had to be cleaned regularly. The turntable ladders were stationed at Nqs 1, 2 + 35 Stations, they had solid rubber tyres, the bell had a rope attached and was rung by the driver, as he usually turned out by himself. The Leyland Ladder was a modern appliance for that era; it had balloon tyres and bells that could be operated by either a lever on the steering column or a button on the floor by the driver.

In the

1950's the appliances started to improve when larger capacity pumps were imported. These were open vehicles with seating, front and rear, for the firefighters. Gradually out stations were issued with enclosed Hose Caniages fitted with 900 litres per minute capacity rotary pumps. The older Turntable Ladders were fitted on to new chassis's with enclosed cabins and balloon tyres. At the same time their working height was reduced to 23.5 metres.

Mobile Tanker pumps were purchased and these were stationed around the perimeter of the Metropolitan Fire District because of their large water canying capacity. There were no spray branches in the 50's (these came in during the early 1960's). Also in the 60's the Union insisted that all appliances had to have enclosed cabins, the Fire Brigades Board eventually complied and this was completed. Before appliances were enclosed I remember returning to station after fires in the Winter with ice on my tunic. The spare Hose Caniages were not up to standard; even into the mid 1950's, there were still appliances in commission dating back to the 1930's. These were "Albion" appliances with gate gears and the gear lever was positioned on the off side running board. In the early 1960's the first of the sophisticated appliances came into the Brigade, the fust Magirus Ladder and a totally different design of hose caniage complete with breathing apparatus in the compartments.

In the 1940's and 50's the breathing apparatus was the "Salvus" closed circuit oxygen set with a duration of 30 minutes. These sets were replaced by the "Draeger" open circuit compressed air set (twin cylinders) with a duration of approximately 45 minutes.

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The "Proto" closed circuit oxygen sets, with a duration of 2 hours, were the sets used in preference to the "Salvus"sets as they were more modern, there was more in commission and they had a longer duration. In the 1970's the "Proto" was replaced by the 8G174 a closed circuit oxygen set with a duration of 3 hours 40 minutes

Also in the 1960's the first of the Hydraulic Platforms wds purchased and placed into commission.

When the Fire Brigade Workshops were re-located to Anderson Road, Thornbury in the early 1970's things really moved ahead, appliances and equipment were greatly improved upon. The frefighters of today must be proud of the appliances and equipment they have in the Brigade. I often stand and watch as the appliances go past and see the advancement in technology and wonder what capacities they now have and what equipment they carry compared to my era

13

PRont,Rus you nnve ronnv mtlr ouR GmvRRlnoN nm Not snvc

The list below are a few of the problems firefighters have today that we did not have.

1.

Ilistance of Travel: It is nearly a necessity for families to have two cars today with the expansion of the Metropolitan

because the public transport has not kept up area.

2.

3.

Stress: This was practically an unknown word in our day, today it effects society probably more than any other illness, it is bought on by the pressures of the lifestyle of today.

Drugs: This effects many families and with stress is another of societies biggest problems.

4.

on firefighters today, no doubt you are well schooled on precautions to be taken with this illness.

5.

Chemicals: In the past ten to twenty years this industry has expanded at a rapid rate and the effects as we know can be devastating. In our day rarely did we have to wear breathing apparatus or protective clothing unless it was very smoky situation or an ammonia incident.

6.

TV + Media: In our time the Brigade did not have these people to contend with to the extent that you do. They appear to have free access onto the fireground, you

Aids: This must have an influence

cannot afford to make a mistake.

"14