Concluding Article on Inspections, Fire Prevention And Volunteer Reserve the concluding article on the annual report of the Municipal Fire Brigade, Captai J, Gordon Dyson, Chief Officer of the brigade, pays tri ute to the personnel for the highly commendable manner in which they performed their duties, under most trying conditions at times.
Deep appreciation is recorded of the valuable as lance rendered by the Volunteer Reserve, also for the help received from the French Fire Brigade; Volunteers and other Defence Force the staff of the Shanghai Waterworks, Power, Gas and Telephone Companies; the Police and other Municipal Depart ments, for their valuable ce-operation, and to the personnel of the various hospitals, whose ce-operation was largely responsible for the efficient running of the Emergency Aimbulanee Service.
Ju the first half of the year there was q slight Inctease in building activity, in which the requirements of this Department were involved. On the outbreak of hostilities in August, however, building operations were suddenly brought to a. standstill and consequently the work of the spection Branch, in so far as It 0 cerned new buildings, was very considerably curtailed Fire Installations completed, or in course of being installed, were as Now Fire Installations comploted, Yeted and put dito, sorvlew tions as regards water supply in their respective areas, a precautionary measure, pumping mains were Isolated from each other og far as possible, so as to prevent a total cessation of the water supply in the event of a main being hit by a bomb or shell, As was to be expected under the circumstances, there were numerous cases of hydrants being obstructed by military defence works, but regular Inspections were "carried out and, with the ce-operation of the Defence Forces, matters were invariably rectified without dimeulty, ire. instaiigtiong" "partially pleted' at end of year Fire-fighting Units No new noteworthy building' was completed during the year, although progress was made on the hew Winx On Department Store, which will be the tallest building in the Settlement 202 feet high—and the new premises of the Bank of China, As a result of the closure of the Northern and Eastern districts to normal business during: hostilities, the Brigade was faced with a serious problem as regards the distribution and storage of hazardous goods, such as gasoline, dangerous chemicals, ete, fas practically all the approved stores were located in those districts. Every effort was made, however, to control the distribution and storage goods of this nature and prevent them {rom seriously inereas-Ing the fire hazard within' the portion of the Settlement removed (rom the actual hostilities,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.