View report page

137
During the crisis week members of the Staff were "standing by"
night and day and beds and bedding were supplied for use in various
Departments. The bedding used was taken from our stocks at the
Infectious Disease Shelter.
On the morning of Monday, September 26th, permission was obtained
from the Town Clerk to proceed as rapidly as possible with the erection
and equipping of the First Aid Posts. The only Posts which could be
readily adapted were those which the Council owned, namely, the three
Baths. The Borough Surveyor's Department in conjunction with the
Baths Department proceeded with all possible speed working day and
night, to accomplish this. Meanwhile since no medical supplies were
forthcoming, as promised, we proceeded to order what we considered
to be essential for equipping the First Aid Posts and supplying the First
Aid (Stretcher) Parties with first aid pouches.
As no stretchers were available the then Borough Surveyor agreed
to make a sample stretcher to a specification which was given him and
within three days the Works Department had produced one hundred
stretchers with trestles. One of the Borough Council's disinfecting vans
was converted to carry two stretcher cases and six secondhand motor
vehicles were purchased, two of which were converted to carry stretchers.
If the International situation had not cleared there would have been two
fully equipped First Aid Posts by the end of the week, one at Roman
Road Baths and the other at Glengall Grove Baths, while the Post at
East India Dock Road Baths would have been ready by the following
Monday.
Arrangements were made for telephones to be installed in the First
Aid Posts and First Aid Party Depots which were not at that time on the
telephone.
The method of construction adopted in erecting the three First Aid
Posts on the floors of the three Baths was as follows:—
Partition walls consisted of double-faced armoured plywood
panels set in deal sectional framing, the roofs of similar panels
supported on joists, the wider spans being carried by rolled steel
angles. This method of construction allows of marking each section
for storage and rapid re-erection. The floor space of each Bath was
divided up into various rooms—undressing rooms; decontamination
rooms with sprays, hot and cold water and sinks; first aid rooms;