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A fire of epic proportions

August 2012

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Incidents like this keep firefighters up there in the popularity stakes: Blenhein firefighter Jason Fishburn recently roped-up and waded 20 metres out into a fast-flowing swollen stream to rescue two motorists who took on a road closed by flooding. Other firefighters anchored him from the parapet of the nearby bridge whose road surface was under water. Photo: Fairfax NZ.

For the eighth year straight, firefighters have been recognised by Reader’s Digest as New Zealand’s most trusted profession. While several within our number have commented positively about this award, a number have ruminated not so publicly that we are now beginning to take this trust for granted, and it may not be as richly deserved as some might think.

Recent natural events have continued to keep our profile at a higher than usual level in the public’s consciousness, and in every case this was showing the usual amount of selfless service given to members of the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

But do we really deserve these and other accolades that are regularly heaped upon us? Can we look in the mirror and ask the question: “Has my service been as selfless as it is portrayed?”

Recently the Fire Service’s own communications department has found it necessary to issue a notice outlining its concern about the manner in which some brigade members are approaching businesses for cash support with various projects that they have undertaken at a local level. This has apparently created conflict with some major brands that already have

contractual arrangements with the Fire Service.

Similarly, we at K1 regularly hear of concern being expressed by brigade members worried about the rapidity with which some members rush off to the public – these people we serve so selflessly, remember – for items such as cutting gear, brigade support

vans and equipment for such vehicles. The upside for these generous folk who unquestioningly donate is that they have their name listed on the side of the van or a plaque at the station.

Great, you may say, but the cynic could argue that what they are really after is the recognition that come with putting their names next to one of our country’s most recognisable badges/logos.

Often brigade members disagree with the edicts coming out of NHQ about resource allocations and think they should have a PRT rather than just the shiny new Type 1 they have just been given and without consulting

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Area or Region roar off to a charity or have public fund raising days to buy the bits they think they deserve. After all they know more about their patch than the ‘pointy heads’ at NHQ.

However, the bit that really sticks in the craw is the personal gain that comes from individuals benefitting from being a serving member.

We learned recently of a volunteer member, an owner of a suburban business, who wore a NZFS T shirt to purchase items from a wholesaler and gave the story about protecting the community and virtually demanding a discount for being a fire fighter. Another incident involved a fire fighter who turned up to pay a speeding ticket dressed in his blue undress uniform and tried to convince the clerk that he was on fire service business when he copped the speeding ticket.

Our problems are not only confined to our public interactions. K1 has been told of at least three occasions across the country that after funds had been raised for sporting and/or challenge trips that all hell had broken loose between those that raised the funds and those who were competing as to who should go on such a trip at subsequent meetings held back at the station, often with vindictive ramifications.

We are sure that if the public who gave so generously and who think so highly of their fire fighters to vote them to such a position as Most Trusted Profession learned of such shenanigans then they may think twice about financial donations in the future.

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The next best thing... You can’t really substitute for the real thing but Woodend, Kamo and Hikurangi brigades have practised on the next best thing recently.

Region Four training manager Anton Daish said more than 20 firefighters took part in the Woodend exercise (pictured at right) during which firefighters were taught how to deal with flashovers and unburned fuel, among other situations they might encounter in a real house fire.

The firefighters got to go in at least two times each. “We progressively burn the house down room by room and you get up to five or six burns from each room. We teach them the best way to put out the fire and correct water application.”

A small crowd gathered to watch the house burn. “It’s valuable for them because they can see how quickly a fire develops in the house and a fire might start coming out of the windows in three or four minutes. It reinforces the need for smoke alarms,” he said.

Complex scenarioKamo and Hikurangi firefighters ( pictured below) had to deal with a boat fire, discovered a methamphetamine lab and helped injured people from an explosive situation.

Fire safety investigator and scenario organiser Craig Bain said the exercise was an opportunity for the brigades to become

familiar with each other’s systems so when they were called to incidents it would enable them to work smarter and faster.

The real thingMeanwhile, Tokomaru has taken the real thing and turned it into a public education exercise with 180 people having a tour of the small country town’s first house fire for 35 years.

Firefighters were able to save about

65% of the house, but there was significant damage, despite firefighters arriving only minutes after the fire started. The two people living in the house were unhurt as they escaped after the alarm went.

DCFO Danny Riddiford said at least 90% of the people who went through the house were from Tokomaru, Opiki or Linton, and many of them were children. “They were overwhelmed by the speed of it, I think it shocked a few of them.”

He said it was great to see so many kids paying attention to the safety lessons.

Kamo photo: John Stone.Woodend photo: Richard Cosgrove

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A fire of epic proportionsFire has burned over 33,000 hectares of Colorado in recent weeks and 32,000 people have left their homes as wildfire spreads, threatening Colorado Springs city. “This is a fire of epic proportions,” said Colorado Springs CFO Rich Brown as ash drifted down on the city, sirens wailed and the thick smell of smoke permeated the air. It was one of at least a dozen burning in the state.

“This is the worst fire season in the history of Colorado,” he said, adding that from the air he saw many homes destroyed in a glowing

landscape that looked surreal. The Waldo Canyon Fire, which has roared through at least 2500 heactares of dry timber in a weekend, grabbed attention for days because of its proximity to landmarks like the famed mountaintop of Pikes Peak and the Air Force Academy.

In amongst the sweat and long hours hours put in by firefighters and the anguish of thousands of property owners who have lost everything, portable firefighting tanks that cost $2 million apiece and can be fitted into the back of C-130 cargo plane, sometimes sit idle because federal law says they cannot

be used until all available commercial firefighting planes are in service. Citing a shortage of commercial firefighting planes, Senator Elton Gallegly has filed legislation that would require the US Forest Service to activate the Modular Airborne Firefighting System units when battling wildfires. The Forest Service owns the tanks that are used to drop retardant on fires.

Gallegly, who a few years ago spearheaded an effort to replace the older portable tanks with newer models, said the nine newer units could be put into service if his legislation becomes law. What’s more, the proposal requires the Forest Service to activate eight of the older-model units that are in storage across the country.

He said the portable MAFFS units are needed because the number of available commercial firefighting planes has fallen off sharply over the past decade. In 2003, the Forest Service had 44 fixed-winged commercial planes at its disposal. But some of the planes crashed while in service and others have been grounded, causing the number of available commercial aircraft to dwindle to eight.

That was one side of the service politics were being debated in the media while the fires raged on. Others proclaimed adequate civilian assets were available and being utilised. The MAFFS tankers are used to drop fire retardant to reduce the intensity and slow the growth of wildfires so that firefighters on the ground can construct containment lines. The Forest Service says fire retardant is not typically used to suppress wildfires and that the tankers are not requested for all fires.

Over the past two years, the Forest Service also has relied on air tankers from Canada to help fight wildfires in the United States under agreements with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre – a practice that would be barred under Gallegly’s

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legislation, unless the MAFFS units are all in use or are insufficient to deal with the fires. In neighbouring Utah, many fires, large and small, spread across grasslands and forests, forcing thousands of people out of their homes.

The Wood Hollow Fire, the largest, spread to more than 15,000 hectares in Sanpete County. The fire had apprently started with a short-circuit at a utility pole where thieves had stolen copper. The Clay Springs Fire west of Sanpete, spread to over 10,000 ha. East of Sanpete, the Seeley fire believed to have been started by lightning, spread to 5000 ha.

A subdivision on the outskirts of Colorado Springs – one of many housing areas wiped out.

This photo is not a set-up – it was discovered recently by an environmental health officer in the greater Wellington area. Thanks to Tui for allowing us to utilise their artwork and design services.

Cover photoOne of the Colorado wild fires roars above the Air Force Academy. Photo: Don Maconachy.

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Rural firefighters won’t be leaving their cell phones in the truck any more thanks to Scion Crown Research Institute turning two decades of data collection from experimental burns and wildfires into digital fire modeling.

The new application is being adapted to run on smartphones, and is designed to indicate how fast, and how severely, a fire is likely to burn in different vegetation types.

Senior fire researcher Grant Pearce says rural firefighters will no longer have to rely solely on experience, gut-feeling and prayer. “We have come a long way in 20 years, “ he said.

Forest and rural fire agencies have access to a range of fire behaviour models specifically for NZ vegetation types. These tools started out as paper-based lookup tables and field manuals, but have now evolved to electronic dial-up.

Scion established the fire research group 20 years ago when forest and rural stakeholders recognised the need for improved knowledge of New Zealand fire conditions.

A beta version of the fire behaviour prediction app is currently available for Android smartphone users. This can now be freely downloaded by visiting ‘Google play’ and searching for “fire behaviour calculator”.

Digital assistance for rural firefighters

The final version should be completed early August. Work on producing an Apple version has also started, with the aim of having this done by the end of September. More information on earlier and current tools is available on the Rural Fire Research website, www.scionresearch.com/fire under Tools & Services.

Rural dream boatOne of the latest vehicles in the USA’s rural firefghting arsenal is MTT’s new airboat which, with retractable wheeels, can travel on or over water, swamp, ice and land.

Powered by Rolls Royce, the boat can deliver a mist, or push up to 7200 cu m/hour through four monitors or deliveries. It is also foam capable and carries augers to access water under ice. Apart from its terrain versatility, it’s big advantage is speed to the job.

Forty percent of New Zealand is now under enlarged rural fire districts, according to Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain, after the formation of the Marlborough-Kaikoura Rural Fire Authority last month. It is the second authority to become enlarged since the new strategy was introduced.

Interim chairman Mark Wheeler said disparate fire organisations and individuals had become jointly responsible for maintaining and improving rural firefighting standards. “The authority won’t be judged by what happens in boardrooms, but in the field, “ he said.

The new authority combines Marlborough north, Marlborough south, Kaikoura and Conservation Department rural fire forces, along with the Marlborough and Kaikoura district councils.

New rural authority formed

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Porirua awaits the future

Scenes like this are not uncommon for the Porirura, Tawa and Johnsonville brigades, responsible for a big chunk of the motorway north out of Wellington.

The latest rumoured reorganisation of the Porirua district has done the rounds of fire station muster rooms and lounges, but appears to have been shelved for the meantime, apparently due to budgetary restraints. Porirua OIC Jiohn Leighton and his volunteers have been through this scenario several times, so they carry on like they have done for 65 years.

“It happens when it happens”, is the brigade’s atittude, but various theories revolve around the ever-expanding Whitby suburb and the insistent pressure the new far boundary is putting on Porirua’s response times. If there is any break-up of the career teams across a new station, or as one rumour would have it, across two stations to give triangular coverage, the volunteers will probably share Porirua’s current district headquarters with one career truck.

Any shift around in the current establishment could have significant impact on Porirua volunteers. At present they are a third truck, being resident with Porirua’s career PRT and pump. This used to mean that the volunteers’ response parameter was seven to eight minutes, not four as is normal, as most of their calls were to man the station as back-up or participate in a second or third alarm. But three years ago Porirua’s volunteers had their

cover move status removed, meaning the response time was halved and the perimeter inside which it could recruit from shrank drastically.

Cover moves now come from Johnsonville, Tawa, Titahi Bay or Plimmerton, depending on the circumstances, time of day, etc. ‘Station keeping’ was always an unknown factor for the Porirua volunteers and it had the unknown edge – the next call could mean joining the big job or going solo to a new call.

SO Margaret Smith, the brigade 2IC, says the changed status has had a profound effect on recruiting, because the number of calls per year has been halved to somewhere in the

60s. OIC John Leighton is frank in admitting it’s a harder job keeping the alertness and enthusiasm up for the much reduced workload.

He is philosophical about the future – there have even been rumours of turning Porirua’s volunteers into a district Operational Support brigade and absorbing qualifying members from Plimmerton, Titahi Bay and Tawa.

Whatever does happen, it may be an indicator of NZFS thinking generally on urban volunteers. For instance, with daylight availability a problem for many urban brigades (including Porirua), revised thinking might see Plimmerton moved a couple of kms to a composite brigade at Mana on the main highway.

Tawa and Titahi Bay seem to be holding their own during the daylight at present, but a few kms down the motorway, even Newlands could also get swept up in an urban reorganisation as it is only a few minutes drive

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Firefighters evaluate the destruction at Tony’s Tire Service last year – a busy night with two structure fires in Porirua in two hours, and two other suspicious structure fires in the greater Wellington area the same night.

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from the two-pump Johnsonville station which has it own volunteer contingent.

The Porirua brigade was formed in 1950 when the city was still a village, but on the verge of being developed as a model of modern New Zealand living. As pressure went on the availability of land in Wellington, Porirua was designed as a city from scratch, not as a random expansion across whatever farmland could be purchased. Trumpeted as an urban utopia, the village-to-be-city saw the new roading wonder – an urban motorway – snaking toward it and life has never been the same since.

The motorway and its attendant roundabouts have been a source of employment for the fire brigades of the area ever since.

The brigade currently has 10 operational

firefighters and five recruits, one of whom is third generation in the brigade (including the Porirua career staff). OIC Leighton, who has just clocked up 45 years in the brigade considers himself ‘hostilities only’ (for major calls).

Partners Margaret Smith and Andrew Mills are the operational control under his guidance. The pair are one of the few firefighter officer couples in the country. “It’s a lifestyle choice,” said Margaret. “We are really lucky in that we are both committed to the brigade and enjoy the work.”

The Leightons are also a Fire Service family with brother Tony CFO at neighbouring Titahi Bay, and brother Colin the VSO for Rangitikei.

These days the brigade is mainly employed on PFAs and house fires. It used to do quite a number of srcub fires, but these have dwindled. The volunteers carry an Aquavac and a lighting rig which results in some specialist calls.

Margaret Smith reckons the fire safety work carried out in the city by career and volunteer staff has had a big impact on calls in recent years. “The volunteers get out among the community at the major events like Creek Fest and run the brigade Facebook (214 friends) and website.”

Getting back to the future, she observes wryly that there have been reorganisation schemes and rumours since the brigade’s 25th anniversary – 40 years ago. John Leighton jokes about Porirua being the ghost brigade as a lot of the local population think they are career staff, being based on the same station.

OIC John Leighton and SO Margaret

Smith.

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K1 is an independent magazine produced by the K1 Group. Editors: Ross Miller and Russell Postlewaight.

All correspondence to: k.1group@ymail.com

All material in this publication is copyright and permission must be sought before reproducing, other than for brigade members’ perusal. Comment in this publication does not necessarily reflect proprietor opinion.

People assaulting emergency workers will face tougher sentances under a change in the Sentencing (Aggravating Factors) Amendment Bill recently passed in Parliament. This brings ambulance and fire in line with police and prison officer legislation and means an assault on any of those public officials is an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing.

MP Jonathan Young said the threat against police is alarmingly high compared to other services, but on consideration we have seen that ambulance and fire are just as important.”

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But the local council is a great supporter of the volunteers, he says, as it recognises that in the event of a major disaster, the city will need as many trained personnel as possilbe. “The city will more than likely lose its land access to other parts of greater Wellington in the event of a major earthquake or flood, and naturally, the council is interested in husbanding its resources.”

However, he and Margaret agree that the consolidation of emergency management from local councils to the Wellington Regional Council could have some influence on that thinking.

Whatever happens to the Porirua fire district, John Leighton considers Plimmerton is the key. “Whatever happens in regard to the future placement of that brigade will be

Porirua’s first fire station, 1950.

central to how the other volunteer and career trucks are redistributed.” In the meantime, Porirua volunteers will keep ‘flying under the radar’ and responding to their pagers.

Working the crowds at Creek Fest.brigades

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Top shelfTactical perspectives 4 : search (DVD, 22 minutes)by Frank Ricci. (Tulsa, Ok. : PennWell Corporation, 2011 )Recommended by a Wellington SSO, this DVD uses real incident footage and covers search techniques in residential fires. Two US fire officers outline the value of a primary search and a secondary search, and look at hostile searches, VES, and other tactics. They focus on keeping safe, and co-ordinated team-work. The tactics are demonstrated with a room-and-contents fire, an attic fire, and a basement fire. This is a Region 1 DVD, and plays on Windows Media Player.

Inside attack (article)by Paul GrimwoodIn: Fire and Rescue, no.86 (Second quarter 2012), p16-18 Firefighting expert Paul Grimwood highlights the risk factors that impact on survivability during interior firefighting operations. He starts with pre-planning, and getting to know the risks in your area. On the fireground, size-up will include assessment of fire conditions, and the type of construction you are dealing with. He talks about large volume structures and explains how the high ceiling spaces may hide the extent of fire growth. To keep safe, it’s important to have a culture of situational and risk awareness. Request these from the Library team – infoc@fire.org.nz or call us on our toll free number – 0800 FIRELIB

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Wellsford’s Trent Jones is the new National Drivers’ Challenge champion having held off the reigning champion, Little River’s Todd Pike who was runner-up.

The challenge was held at Manfield Park in Feilding.

Otorohanga’s Grant Staples was third.

Jones top driver

Manoeuvring in tight spaces under the eagle eye of a challenge technical official. Photos: UFBA.

Compact fire truck a winnerIf the NZFS is ever looking for a new medium truck design, this Morita concept won the 2011 IDEA gold medal in the commercial and industrial category, and could be a good starting point.

It is designed as a CAFS wildfire truck, but no doubt could be easily adapted to an urban environment or urban/rural crossover. Of particular appeal is that it comes with its own LED scene lighting system, and it is a stand-alone via-satellite communications centre. It can fight fires on the move from nozzles that attach to the back doors when the windows are wound down.

Using onboard video cameras, wind

The back-of-cab pump, video, communications and lighting control panel.

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direction/speed measurement tools, along with thermography, the Morita can measure fire conditions and transmit data to other trucks or fire parties.

The truck carries a crew of four. It is 7.2m long, 3.6 m tall and weighs in at 11,500 kg.

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The UFBA’s Medal of Valour is among the world’s rarest medals, having only been presented three times in its 130-year history.

Rescue uncovered murderThe first UFBA Medal of Valour was presented for Fireman John Robb of Dunedin in 1880, who, on discovering his neighbour’s house was on fire, made attempts at entry, eventually crawling around the house on his stomach below the smoke level, until he heard groans.

He dragged the badly injured Mrs Dewar to safety and went back after other possible occupants. One was Mr Dewar who had been murdered with an axe, and their baby who was dead, but not from any obvious wound.

Mrs Dewar died of her injuries in hospital without regaining consciousness.

Fireman Robb was loudly praised, not only for his actions in attempting the rescue of the Dewars, but for uncovering the grisly murders that, no doubt, would have been disguised by the fire.

A suspect was arrested, but from newspaper reports it appears he talked his way out of it. He was later arrested and jailed for 18 years for arson of another property.

He then emigrated to Australia where “nemesis caught up with him” in 1905 when he was hung for murder (separate incident).

Fireman’s Robb’s medal was presented at the UFBA conference in 1882.

Wanganui children rescuedFireman Thomas Thompson was preparing for bed at midnight on 25 March, 1890, when he heard an alarm of fire proceeding

UFBA medal among world’s rarest

from the cottage next door.

Mr Carson, presenting the medal is reported as saying: “Flinging himself into his clothes and rushing into the street, he found the house in flames and its occupants escaping by the front door. He asked if all the children were out and received the reply that two were missing.

As he was making his way for the open doorway, the father – who himself had been

beaten back with burned and blistered face – called out to him not to go in or he would never get back.

“Into that volume of flame, into that lake of fire, plunged he right boldly. With his hands scorched and blistered and his retreat cut off by falling scrim and paper, he dashed into the back room, rescued the two children, and escaped with them out the back door.”

Mr Carson said Fireman Thompson would carry some of the physical marks of the act to

There are very few medals more rare than the UFBA Medal of Valour. Examples are:

• Stuka pilot Colonel Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the only recipient of the Knights Cross with Gold Oak Leaves. He flew and survived 2530 missions in World War Two.

• The Chinese Air Force presented only two Ten Star Wing Medals – to American pilots of the Flying Tigers in WWII.

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Four entombed miners rescued

his grave. It had been a month before he had been able to use his hands.

Alexandra volunteer firefighter Alexander Ashworth was awarded his Medal of Valour after being involved in the rescue of four miners entombed after a fire at the Molyneaux mine in July 1906.

After several unsuccessful attempts by rescuers to enter the

mine, the fire was extinguished by diverting the borough water race into the mine, through a 400 metre cut dug by miners and citizens.

While the four entombed miners had erected a barrier to keep the fire from them, they nearly succumbed to the flooding as they had only room to keep their noses and mouths above the water for a considerable time until rescuers reached them.

The men were entombed for around 16 hours. Firefighter Ashworth was badly affected by fire damp (essentially methane) during the operation.

Smoke pours from the shaft of the Molyneaux mine - Photo: Hocken Library.

Gold StarsGold Stars for June and July were:Kevin Barry, Lloyd Gernhoffer,Ken Samuel, David Waite ElthamRobert Fisher New BrightonHector Repia andDarren Searle Te KopuruRussell Pascoe NgateaNigel Lloyd andMichael Moehau MiltonMichael Clement FoxtonGeoffrey Potter Tahuna

Michael Leith RavensbourneRaymond McKay PictonAndrew Martin MorrinsvilleAnthony Swarbrick WaiauBarry Macbeth PateaGeoffrey Soper PukerauGraham Beggs WintonThomas Dooney KoitiataStephen Collins and Graeme Moffat Te Anau

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The “leakage” in the existing fire service levy funding model is being investigated and the Minister of Internal Affairs has given a pane wide scopre to consider the sustainability of funding.

“It is up to the panel to consider the most effective way to fund the fire service in the future, ” he told K1. “We know there is a level of leakage and that is the principle reason for the review.”

The panel will consider whether “those who receive the various services performed by the Fire Service contribute to the costs for both fire and non-fire-related activities”.

The Minister said it was fair to suggest the service was unfunded for a lot of what it did. The contribution of the corporate sector to funding will be within the ambit of the review and the terms of reference offered a good scope to look at the avenues of funding.

PFU president Steve Warner said the funding model for the service had been wrong for years.

“The commercial sector of New Zealand gets a bit of a free ride on the residential sector and on the public sector, and a lot of the things we do are unfunded. I think at the moment the commercial sector is probably using about 60% of the resources of the Fire Service and paying for about 40% of it.”

The review team will also look at the overall efficiency of the NZFS, considering the potential for bringing some fire service infrastructure into other emergency services.

Levy leakage to be plugged

The Bronto’s versatility was displayed recently during a river rescue in the Hutt Valley caried uot by Avalon’s 414.

The 4x4 driver and her dog were trapped by rising waters and lifted to safety through the rear hatch window.

Lyttelton volunteers are moving to the wharf for a couple of months while the remainder of its quake-shattered station is demolished.

The temporary quarters (made of portacoms and shipping containers) will be reassembled in the car park of the port administration.

CFO Mark Buckley said Lyttelton was probably two years away from having a new permanent station and discussion were underway with police and ambulance for a combined emergancy services centre.

Lyttelton moving to wharf

Hawkes Bay firefighters have organised a Fire Service Triathlon they hope will become a national fixture.

The Sunday, 25 November, inaugural event comprises a 1.5km swim, a 42km cycle and a 9km run, and there are under and over 40 year categories.

Entry fees range from $50.00 for an individual to $70.00 for a team and a full prizegiving ceremony with medals and spot prizes is planned. So, if you think you’ve got what it takes, register your interest on http://nz.eventdirector.net/_Public/_Reg/regCategory.aspx

Firefighter triathlon planned

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Denting Aussie chequebooksTwo New Zealand companies are making a dent in Australian fire authority chequebooks.

Tait Communications has supplied 9000 cutting-edge P25 digital portable and mobile radios to Victorian firefighters as part of a $37 million project to improve emergency communications there. Bushfire-prone Victoria has 1200 Country Fire Authority brigades, with 56,000 members and is one of the world’s largest emergency service organisations.

The P25 standard, which is also used by the New Zealand Police, allows for improved communications within and between agencies – especially emergency services. The radios are more robust and can filter out background noise such as sirens, hoses and helicopters.

Tait’s Frank Owen said planned enhancements such as global positioning and ‘crystal clear’ audio could be rolled out using the same handsets.

The new radios also mean the authority can work better with other emergency-response organisations as they make the move to digital networks, allowing greater use of resources during large-scale events, he said.

Meanwhile, Fraser Engineering has rolled over from one contract with the South Australian Country Fire Service to another, starting work on a new multimillion-dollar fire truck contract the day after completing the previous one.

It has supplied 23 fire engines, each of which cost about $400,000, and staff have started on the next 20 trucks.

The South Australian service infrastructure manager, Arthur Tindall, said the organisation, staffed by volunteer firefighters in mainly rural areas, ran a fleet of about 600 fire trucks, replacing more than 20 a year through a tendering process with qualifying manufacturers.

South Australia’s service infrastructure manager, Arthur Tindall, said that despite transport and costs related to travel, Frasers came out on top value-for-money-wise, and still provided the service with savings. “The quality of the product is exceptional, some of the best I have seen.”

Fraser’s Martin Stewart, says the company has 115 fire engines on order, about three years’ work, with about 40% of the demand coming from across the Tasman.

Conference 2012 will start with a big splash for 60 delegates who attend the NZFBI field day. The first-in, first-served lucky 60 will be given a tour of M&O Pacific’s training facilities which includes a helicopter immersion escape simulator (pictured).

The company specialises in marine safety procedures and trains staff working the gas platforms off New Plymouth in firefighting, first aid and other emergency proceedures. As almost everybody goes to and from the rigs by air, sea survival skills and how to get out of a inverted, ditched chopper is just one of the extra demands of the environment.

Delegates will also get a tour of the Oaonui fire training facility including an aircraft incident, high pressure leak, fuel spill and a large conflagration incident in a bunded area.

Conference starts with big splash

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Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade centennial

February 2013If you are a former member (or know one)

who has not received any information on Te Awamutu brigade’s centennial

celebrations, please contact: Brigade Secretary Brian Ricketts

C/- Fire Station 14 Palmer Street, Te Awamutu 3800

fax 07 8703186 brian.ricketts@xtra.co.nz

Decades of disrupted dinners, sleep and work for Pukekohe’s Jim Nicholls were recognised recently with the award of his 50 Year Medal.

The former CFO joined up way back in 1962 when he was 19. His house was surrounded by bush and the gorse-sided railway tracks that were often on fire from the engine sparks. His brother joined the brigade and convinced him to follow as they needed more youngsters.

He made station officer in five years, was deputy for 17 years and Chief for 18 years. He dismisses his extraordinary leadership in the brigade as merely being the result of being keen and applying himself. “You get in and do your job. Train hard and work hard. If you prove yourself, you get to the top.”

Being a volunteer is about commitment, says

Jim, and he considers Pukekohe is lucky in the commitment its firefighters have.

Fifty years is enough for him and he’ll be retiring at the AGM. But he’ll still be around if there’s anything that needs doing. The rest of the time, he’ll be working in his hydroponics business which the next generation mainly run these days.

The biggest difference is his 50 years, apart from the obvious advances in equipment and subsequent training, is the nature of the calls. “We get very few accidents these

days and little in the way of house fires, due largely to the fire safety work being done.”

The big change is the large amount of first responder work the brigade does. The ambulance is flat out and the brigade picks up the slack, he says. “We have two defibralators and a lot of extra gear. The brigade does a lot of special training and is fortunate in having two paramedics on its strength.”

So finally Jim is taking a back seat, thinking back on the Mediterranean cruise and Italian holiday he took straight after the medal presentation, and trying to wean himself off reacting to the siren.

“Train hard, work hard” advice from veteran leader

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Streeeeeeeetchhhhh ...Jesse James and his bunch of wild vehicle modifiers decided to bring a touch of class to firefighting when they drastically altered this 1996 V8 Lincoln limo on their tv show, Monster Garage.

The fire ‘truck’ features a 4731 litre-per-minute Waterus pump with a mounted nozzle that pops up through a flip-top roof, and connections for two additional deliveries. It has enough grunt to pump six stories high.