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10 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1938.
Air Raid Precautions.
The responsibility for the training of volunteers under the
Council's Air Raid Precautions Scheme has devolved on the Public
Health Department. As stated on page 5, Mr. W. G. Pearce,
Sanitary Inspector, has been seconded from his ordinary duties
and has been put in charge of the training. Four other Sanitary
Inspectors and two Inspectors from the Borough Engineer's
Department have qualified as Government-trained A.R.P. Instructors.
These officers have devoted a large amount of their
time, most of it after hours, to the training of A.R.P. personnel.
Valuable assistance has also been given by Miss E. M. Jones and
Miss K. M. Jones, two civil servants, and Mrs. M. E. Taggart,
Commandant, Wandsworth Division, British Red Cross Society,
who are also qualified as Government-trained Instructors, and by
the following locally-trained Instructors:—Major-General P.
Sangster, Mr. E. R. Spiller, Mr. E. M. Brown, Mr. R. J. Goldsworthy,
Mr. R. F. Pilgrim and Mr. A. V. Palmer.
A large number of volunteers underwent training during the
year and 170 courses of lectures in Air Raid Precautions (Anti-gas)
have been held.
Courses of instruction in First Aid have also been organised
for those who have volunteered for service as First Aid Personnel
and 20 courses of First Aid Lectures and Demonstrations have
been held.
In addition to the large amount of time given to the training
of personnel, much preliminary work has been carried out during
the year in connection with the organisation of First Aid Services
in the Borough.
In consequence of the increased duties devolving on the
Department it has been necessary to engage seven temporary
clerks during the year, mainly for Air Raid Precautions duties.
A storekeeper has also been engaged to look after A.R.P. stores.