Download PDF: Issue 9 - New Zealand Fire Service

Snapshots
Invercargill’s Southland Fire Museum featured as part of the
Edendale brigade’s 50-year birthday celebrations in March.
EDENDALE
still wows the
crowds at 50
The weekend included a social
function, dine and dance, church
parade and barbeque. Members got
to see the brigade’s former Dennis
F12 appliance at the museum and a
the occasion was marked by the
publication of a jubilee book.
More than 120 people attended the
Saturday night function.
“We were thrilled with the turnout
of past members and families,”
said brigade secretary Brendon
Cameron.
Meanwhile the brigade is singing the
praises of the kitchen fire display
trailer after it drew in the crowds at a
local event.
Hamilton sees students on the right road
Students tackle part of the
Amazing Race challenge at
Hamilton Central Fire Station.
24 Issue No. 9
Edendale Volunteer Fire Brigade
members caught up with a former
colleague, a Dennis F12 appliance now
housed at the Southland Fire Museum.
The brigade visited the museum as part
of its 50th anniversary celebrations.
Brendon says a plan to use the trailer
every two hours at the country fair
had to be changed to hourly because
it was in such demand.
“The brigade received considerable
feedback from the public and the
event organisers as to the success in
getting the message across about the
risks in the kitchen.
“Edendale’s brigade members
thoroughly recommend this trailer to
any brigade putting on a large public
display.”
The brigade uses the annual country
fair, which attracts 10,000 people, to
promote a range of fire safety
messages including smoke alarms and
Hamilton senior firefighter Alvan
Walker has combined operational
skills with fi re safety education in a
version of The Amazing Race.
The unique package means travel and
tourism students, aged 17 to 20, are
exposed to fi re safety themes as well
as physical challenges as part of their
course.
The Fire Service joined the event, run
by a city travel and tourism college,
three years ago. As part of the event
students come across a road block
where they have to access the Fire
Service website to answer fi re safety
questions. This is followed by the
physical challenge at the Hamilton
Central Fire Station.
The students are required to complete
get down, get low, get out. Brendon
says the brigade’s chimney sweeping
campaign has been particularly
successful, resulting in a fall in
structural and chimney fi res.
Visitors to the fair also get to see the
operational side of things in action
with firefighters demonstrating
vehicle extrications, co-responder
medical calls with a helicopter
evacuation and monsoon buckets.
Brendon says that sometimes
fi refi ghters get to do the real thing at
the fair. A traction engine sparked a
vegetation fire, and once an LPG
bottle caught fi re next to a caravan.
tasks such as the hose run, drum
carry, patient carry and drag, hauling
aloft a weight up the side of the tower
and running out a high pressure
delivery and shooting a target. Once
the tasks are completed a member of
each team has to retrieve the team
fl ag from the tower.
Alvan says the event generates about
100 hits on the website during the
day. About 100 information packs
containing fi re safety advice are given
out and smoke alarms awarded to
the top performing member of each
team.
He says the event is to be held again
in August and he is hoping to attract
sponsorship so all team members can
receive a smoke alarm.