“Knock the bastard off” - next time! - New Zealand Fire Service

March/April 2005 – Issue No. 7
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
“Knock the bastard off”
- next time!

March/April 2005
Issue No. 7
Fire & Rescue is the fl agship
publication of the New Zealand
Fire Service.
It is produced by Media,
Promotions and Communications,
National Headquarters,
Level 9, 80 The Terrace, Wellington.
We are happy to consider ideas
for stories and features.
Cover Picture
Kiwi icon Sir Edmond Hillary gets a bird’s eye
view from Auckland’s aerialscope as fi refi ghters
attempt to break the world ladder climbing
record. Station offi cer Paul Turner and senior
fi refi ghter Brent Raynor, from Auckland City
Station, look after him. Photos Dean Treml.
Story: Pages 12 – 15.
Contact us by email at:
Susan.grant@fi re.org.nz
Tel: 04-496-3716
Or write to:
Editor,
Fire & Rescue Magazine,
NZ Fire Service,
P O Box 2133,
Wellington
Fire & Rescue is online at
www.fi re.org.nz
ISSN: 1176-6670
All material in Fire & Rescue magazine is
copyrighted and may not be reproduced
without the permission of the editor.
3
10 12
Greymouth twister
Task force deployed for Greymouth twister ..................................3
Appointment
Fire safety in the psyche ............................................................................7
New initiatives
Tying strategy to the day to day ...........................................................8
Speed of fi re demo a hit with M - aori ...............................................10
Engineers gear up for new role ..........................................................11
Fire Service man top of the class ......................................................11
Cover story
Ladder challenge raises $15,000 for burns unit .......................12
Incidents
Region tackles tanker risks ....................................................................16
Hand of support .........................................................................................16
Collision in heavy fog ................................................................................17
Hot property .................................................................................................18
Arson suspected for Te Mata Peak ...................................................20
House gutted ................................................................................................20
Kitchen fi re claims two young lives ..................................................21
Ammonia leak ..............................................................................................21
Demolition derby .........................................................................................22
Roof collapse leads to defensive attack ........................................22
Afternoon fi re fi ght ....................................................................................23
Obituaries
Mervyn Charles McFarlane QFSM ...................................................24
Clive “Sid” James ..........................................................................................25
Snapshots
Teaming up for a games look ..............................................................26
High rise high jinks .....................................................................................27
Mana hat trick for Plimmerton ...........................................................27
BA cylinders caged ....................................................................................28
A hot run ... and a cold shower ...........................................................28
Information Centre .....................................................................................28
Tsunami house fundraiser ......................................................................28
Combined exercise .....................................................................................29
Volunteer personnel records to be overhauled ..........................30
Business excellence results ...........................................................................31
19 25 28
Greymouth twister
A fi rst for urban search and rescue:
Task force deployed for
Greymouth twister
““
Details on the following pages
This was a fantastic, text book deployment.
It not only displayed the professionalism and
diversity of the USAR task force, but also the
strong relationship between agencies such as
ourselves and the Ministry.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
3

Greymouth twister
Greymouth’s March 10 tornado
sparked the fi rst ever mobilisation of
an entire urban search and rescue
(USAR) task force following national
protocols.
A full task force can only be authorised
for deployment by the Fire Service
national commander and the director
of the Ministry of Civil Defence and
Emergency Management (MCDEM).
Fire Service national manager special
operations, Jim Stuart-Black, said the
deployment went smoothly, with the
Fire Service and MCDEM working
closely together at all stages.
A damaged vehicle after it
was rolled down the street.
The remains of pensioner John
Walker’s house in Blaketown,
Greymouth. The tornado tore
through houses in Collins St.
Photo FOTOPRESS/John McCombe
Photo FOTOPRESS/John McCombe
“This was a fantastic, text book
deployment. It not only displayed the
professionalism and diversity of the
USAR task force, but also the strong
relationship between agencies such as
ourselves and the Ministry.”
Jim said USAR was designed to
support the lead agency in an incident,
help the chief fi re offi cer and local
authorities. “The USAR response
complemented Fire Service
business.”
“The operation demonstrated the
skills of a USAR taskforce, not only
rescuing trapped people but helping in
stabilisation and recovery as well.”
The squads were professional, applied
the safe person concept and made a
valuable contribution to the overall
response and immediate recovery.
“We said what we were going to do
and got in and did it.”
The initial request for USAR help
came from Greymouth chief fire
offi cer Alan McEnaney. This formal
request was discussed by Ministry
and Fire Service offi cials, and Task
Force 2, based in Christchurch, was
deployed.
Alan said it was the worst tornado to
strike Greymouth, and it hit without
warning.
“I thought here we go again.” The
last tornado hit in 2003.
The devastation made it clear to him
that he needed USAR resources and
skills.
Many buildings were obviously
unsafe and needed to be assessed
before people could return safely, he
said. The tornado took out an entire
street of houses. “Eight to 10 houses
are uninhabitable at the moment.”
Greymouth twister
Urban search and rescue Task Force 2
members worked through the night. They are
pictured at the cutting table during a project
to secure the roof of a large gym.
Damage inside the Video EZY
shop in Greymouth. Photo
FOTOPRESS/John McCombe
“ We said said what what we we were were going going to to do do and and got got in in and and did did it.
it.
4 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
5
Photos Paul Burns.
“

Greymouth twister
“Tasks Tasks included shoring up up walls walls and and removing removing roofi ng iron and
securing roofs and removing chimneys.
A USAR advance party left by
helicopter, braving gale force winds
over the Southern Alps to arrive in
Greymouth less than four hours after
the tornado struck.
While the advance party did triage,
assessed the situation in Greymouth,
working with local offi cials to identify
key buildings at risk and whether
people were trapped, the full Task
Force 2 squad drove to the city.
Team leaders of Task Forces 1
(Palmerston North) and 3 (Auckland)
were place on stand-by. Transalpine
Fire Region commander Rob Saunders
and a MCDEM regional adviser
attended.
Task Force 2 team leader Paul Burns
said by the time he and the full task
force arrived, the advance party had
already lined up the tasks that needed
to be done. “The main thing of course
was a number of buildings had
doubtful structural integrity and we
needed to shore them up.”
Task Force 2 worked through the
night stabilising buildings so
construction crews and insurance
assessors who would follow later
could work in safety. Base was set up
at the fi re station
They worked on eight buildings,
some of which had suffered extensive
damage. Tasks included shoring up
walls and removing roofi ng iron and
securing roofs and removing chimneys.
One of the fi rst tasks was to fi nd all
the businesses in town that could
provide resources such as timber.
“Local people were only too willing
to help.”
“This is the second time we have been
“
Local people were only too happy to help.
“
turned out in the last two months.
It went fi ne. It is what we are trained
to do.”
Meanwhile, fi refi ghters from nearby
Runanga, Cobden and Brunner
brigades responded to help
Greymouth deal with a fl ood of calls.
Runanga helped evacuate a
retirement home after the roof was
blown off, and a wall shifted.
Alan McEnaney said he was “very
happy” with the emergency response
and co-ordination between all
agencies including Police, Fire and
MCDEM.
What was left of the Despatch
and Garlic engineering
workshops after the tornado
sliced through. Photos
FOTOPRESS/Damer Farrell
and Paul Burns.
“
Gary Talbot: aiming to get fi re safety and risk
management thinking into the Fire Service
psyche. Photo Lance Lawson.
Gary, who used to be the chief fi re
safety officer for Auckland Fire
Region, says his job is to get fi re
safety and risk management thinking
“into the psyche of our people and
the New Zealand Fire Service as an
organisation”.
“Just like the saying ships in harbours
are safe things, so too are fi re engines
in fi re stations safe things, but that’s
not what they are intended for. I
know and accept that we have to be
well prepared to accept the reactive
fi re challenges that will arise.
“However, at the same time through
proactive fire safety/fire risk
management we can greatly reduce
the number of times those unwanted
fi re events occur in the communities
we serve.
“A key to the success of this is through
communicating and discussing ideas
to get maximum input. That is
certainly a priority action of mine.
Decisions that are then made on policy
and direction by the senior
management team will therefore have
a high level of consensus within the
Fire Service community.”
Gary says his role is to support the
introduction of the high performance
team management concepts right
through to station level. This will be
achieved by ensuring accurate and
appropriate information on people fi re
behaviour and fi re behaviour itself is
available to chief fi re offi cers and their
crews at station.
“At national level managing by fact,
and influencing things such as fire
legislation and building codes, will
enable us to develop more effective
strategies to reduce the incidence and
consequence of fi re.
“At station level crews will be able to
develop local initiatives that target
Appointment
Fire safety
in the
psyche
Former Auckland City Central
deputy chief fi re offi cer Gary
Talbot has joined national
headquarters in Wellington
to take up the newly created
position of fi re safety
integration manager.
unwanted fire behaviours while
supporting national projects such as
‘keep looking while your cooking’ and
the FireWise programmes in schools.”
Gary is also involved in the
management of the fi re safety manual,
ensuring legislative changes are well
represented through fact-based
submissions, and that technical fi re
safety, including the fi re evacuation
scheme management activities, is
done efficiently and consistently
nationally.
“The SMS management system and
electronic manual formats allow for
easy feedback from the people on the
fi re appliances and I really encourage
people to use those feedback tools to
enable discussion papers to be
developed, and ultimately enable
sound business content and policy
changes to be made.”
6 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
7

New initiatives
Ian Pickard (left) and Geoff Purcell.
Photo Lance Lawson.
The Fire Service’s strategic plan is going to have more relevance to fi refi ghters
with the introduction of integrated business planning and reporting.
Tying strategy
to the day to day
New tools being developed mean
fi refi ghters can link what they do on
station directly to how it impacts on
the organisation’s strategic direction.
A total station workload matrix has
been written, which covers the
majority of activities performed by
fi refi ghters. Each activity will have a
sheet that will describe what the
activity is, where the activity connects
with the organisation’s strategic
direction, where the tasks performed
to complete the activity are loaded
into SMS and what some of the tasks
and measures may be for completing
the activity.
Each watch will be assigned
responsibility for co-ordinating and
managing certain activities on the
matrix. Several regions have already
been working this way for some time.
Tauranga brown watch senior station
officer Geoff Purcell has been
seconded to assist with the project.
Geoff’s been a fi refi ghter since April
1983, serving 14 years in Auckland,
one year in fi re safety in Hamilton and
the rest in Tauranga. “If you get
someone off the shop fl oor they can
know what happens day to day and can
relate that to the strategic direction.”
Geoff is writing the sheets for each
activity on the matrix, which includes
a link to the relevant strategic priority
and on-line information, such as the
operations or fi re safety manuals,
FireWise database and the station
management system.
All information will be available on
FireNet and issued in hard copy as
part of the business planning manuals
already on station by the end of May.
Director strategic development Ian
Pickard says another outcome from
this process is the development of a
standardised business plan.
“Each district will follow a planning
template that will ensure national
consistency.
“Our challenge is to ensure what we
plan is realistic and achievable and
supports the Fire Service’s direction.
“The better the planning, the better
the information we have to show the
Fire Service Commission and the
Government how effective we are as
an organisation.”
A
Building
Management
1 Coordinate fi re
safety building
inspections
2 Process and
coordinate
evacuation
schemes to
recommend for
approval
3 Maintain copies
of approved
evacuation
schemes
4 Maintain list of
approved
evacuation
schemes
5 Manage building
key register and
process
6 Manage the
station false
alarm plan
7 Liaise with
specialist fi re
safety offi cers
B
Public
Education
1 Coordinate
station visits and
displays
2 Coordinate and
manage fi re wise
schools
programme for
the station
3 Coordinate fi re
safety promotion
materials
4 Coordinate
other fi re safety
initiatives
5 Coordinate
station fi re safety
promotion
activities to meet
business plan
requirements
Watch
Watch
C
Appliance
Compliance
1 Liaise with
district appliance
manager
2 Manage appliance
compliance,
repairs and
maintenance incl
(WOF & RUC
etc)
D
Fire Risk
Management
1 Manage the
programme for
reviewing all
operational plans
2 Maintain SMS
database of all
operational plans
3 Coordinate the
allocation of
updated plans to
appliances
4 Coordinate
street scanning
allocation for the
station
5 Coordinate
urban/rural fi re
safety interface
E
Water
Supply
1 Implementation
of the code of
practice for
water supplies
2 Coordinate
hydrant and
comprehensive
fl ow testing and
inspections to
each watch
3 Liaise with local
authority water
offi ce and ensure
required followup
action
4 Maintain water
testing maps
5 Manage the
calibration and
maintenance of
water testing
equipment
F
USAR
1 Maintain USAR
equipment
2 Coordinate
USAR capability
and training
Total Station Workload Management
As at 28/02/2005
Watch
Watch Watch Watch
G
Business
Planning
1 Coordinate
station business
plan
development
2 Coordinate
station business
planning
meetings
3 Coordinate the
distribution of
SMS result
reports,
highlighting any
exceptions
H
Finance / Asset
Management
1 Coordinate and
monitor budgets
and budget
information for
the station
2 Coordinate
station
maintenance
3 Manage asset
replacement
programme
I
Knowledge
Management
1 Coordinate
information
management
2 Coordinate
station meetings
3 Manage and
maintain station
fi ling system
J
Relationship
Management
1 CDEM
2 Local Bodies
3 Other agencies
4 Volunteers
5 Community
partnerships
Watch Watch Watch Watch
K
Health and
Safety
1 Coordinate
Annual ACC
Audit
2 Maintain station
hazard register
3 Maintain station
OSH meeting
minutes
4 Maintain/monitor
station accident
register and Kiosk
L
Operational
Readiness
1 Coordinate
operational
readiness audits
2 Coordinate
appliance/
equipment capex
bids
3 Coordinate
standard tests
4 Manage all
scheduled
equipment
maintenance
5 Manage
breathing
apparatus
compliance
M
Station /
Building
Compliance
1 Coordinate
building
compliance
schedule (WOF)
requirements
2 Develop and
maintain station
emergency plan
3 Manage
compliance of
station
evacuation
scheme
N
Training / TAPS
1 Coordinate all
TAPS training
material
2 Coordinate and
schedule brigade
exercises
3 Coordinate
specialist watch
training
4 Coordinate
training schedules
New initiatives
Watch Watch Watch Watch
O
All Watch
Activities
1 Apply business
excellence
principles
2 Conduct incident
debriefi ngs
3 Ensure all
administration of
SMS, Timekeeper
and other
systems are
maintained
4 Ensure ALL
communications
equipment is
maintained
5 Ensure
operational
readiness at ALL
times
6 Ensure staff
awareness of
new NCI’s
7 Liaise with CFO
in setting station
outcome goals
8 Maintain vehicles,
station and
grounds
9 Manage and
report on
workplace
accidents and
hazards
10 Manage incident
reporting and
fi re investigations
11 Monitor and
report false
alarms
12 Oversee BA
replenishments
13 Provide advice to
public on
community fi re
safety
14 Manage skills
maintenance
training
15 Maintain staff
awareness of the
safe person
concept
16 Develop Watch
business plans
17 Manage staff
personal
development
8 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
9
Watch

New initiatives
Speed of fi re demo Children
a hit with M - aori
The colour and excitement of the Te Matatini
national festival of M - aori performing art provided
a spirited backdrop for fi refi ghters promoting fi re
safety.
The national kapa haka event is
recognised as the fl agship gathering
for Mäoridom, attracting about
30,000 people over three days
and injecting $20 million into the
local economy.
The Fire Service show cased the speed
of fi re, fi re safety and recruitment
with an interactive site that drew
about 1,500 visitors.
Fire Service national adviser, Mäori,
Piki Thomas said the site included a
mini theatre-type space where people
could witness the speed of fi re.
Firefi ghters were on hand to answer
questions, and prizes such as tattoos,
balloons, pens, beanies and smoke
alarms were awarded to those who
answered questions correctly.
The quality of the prizes attracted
people to the stand, and they were held
by the quality of the presentation.
He was delighted with the response
from the public.
“I actually saw people running past
other stalls to come to ours. It was
too much...we couldn’t believe it.”
People appreciated the importance of
fi re safety messages as well as the ability
of Fire Service personnel to deliver
messages bi-lingually, Piki said.
“Auckland senior fi refi ghter, Peter
Stokes, and Bay-Waikato Fire Service
Visitors to the Fire Service stand
could watch and learn about the
speed of fi re and how to make a
111 call.
are asked fi re
safety questions by Fire
Service Bay-Waikato M - aori
educator, Hemi Pirihi.
Mäori educator, Hemi Pirihi were
stand outs here. They often spoke
Mäori when narrating and engaging
with groups that came to see the
speed of fi re demonstrator.”
About 40 people took away the DVD
presentation about a career in the
Fire Service.
Piki said he was proud of all Fire
Service iwi liaison personnel who
took part.
“I know our people were very proud
of their stall. I know the work was
challenging and fulfi lling at the same
time. We all came away with a real
sense of achievement, ownership and
pride in what we had achieved.”
“People People appreciated appreciated the the importance importance of of fi fi re re safety safety messages
messages
“
Fire Service
man top of
the class
Jonathan Shelley has been awarded his Master of
Engineering in Fire Engineering from Canterbury
University, graduating with fl ying colours.
New initiatives
Engineers gear up for new role
The biggest fi re engineering team in New Zealand, including
international expertise, has been formed in Auckland.
The Fire Service now has a say in the
way new buildings are designed. The
extra workload and demand for
specialist skills are the catalysts for
the creation of the new design review
unit.
The manager of the unit is fi re engineer
Simon Davies. He says the Fire
Service’s fi re engineering team has
been expanded and nationalised, with
all existing fi re engineers joining one
national engineering unit.
Five fi re engineers from the UK, USA
and Australia have joined the seven
current fi re engineers. All have formal
His grades earned him a pass with
distinction and he was awarded a
University Prize.
A Fire Service engineer working in
Auckland, Jonathan credits his
operational background for helping
him achieve these excellent results.
He joined the Fire Service as a career
fi refi ghter eight years ago. However
fi re engineering degree qualifi cations,
with some holding Masters degrees.
Simon says that the introduction of
the new Building Act has been
responsible for the setting up of the
new unit.
“It means increased involvement of
the Fire Service in the construction
industry. The Government wants to
create better linkages between the
B u i l d i n g A c t a n d t h e
Fire Service Act.”
The Fire Service Act charges the Fire
Service with promoting fi re safety,
he had a long standing interest in fi re
engineering, and he took the
opportunity to join the fi re engineering
department in 2001. He says this
operational experience contributed a
lot towards his understanding of, and
appreciation for, fi re behaviour and
human behaviour.
Jonathan, who already held a degree
with the approval of evacuation
schemes as a specifi c function.
Simon says the main change involves
the Fire Service in the building consent
process.
“We are given the opportunity to
comment to the building consent
authority on provisions to allow
people to escape the building in a fi re
and what has been done to ensure
fi refi ghters can enter the building to
fi ght a fi re.”
Fire engineers will review many
alternative fi re engineering designs.
Jonathan Shelley (left).
Photo Nigel Marple.
in architecture, studied for his
engineering degree part-time until
2003 when he took on full-time study
to complete the course work.
“I could not have done this without
the support of the Fire Service; I
certainly would not have got the
grades I did part-time.”
10 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
11

Cover story Cover story
Ladder Ladder Ladder Ladder
challenge
challenge
raises#$15,000#for
Sir Edmund Hillary cheered on 10 fi refi ghters who battled
soreness, injuries and set-backs to come within sight of
setting a new world record. Though they did not “knock
the bastard off” they raised $15,000 for the establishment
of a national burns centre at Middlemore Hospital.
Auckland fi refi ghter Robert Holah thought up the idea of
burns#unit
burns# burns# burns#unit # unit
“I look forward to being at the same place at the same time tomorrow
as you knock the bastard off. Good luck and good climbing.”
a ladder climbing marathon, with the aim of achieving the
world record for the greatest vertical height climbed on a
ladder in 24 hours. The record of 105 km is held by UK
fi refi ghters and the New Zealanders aimed for 110km.
To do this each fi refi ghter had to ascend the ladder 1100
times, climbing higher than Mt Everest.
Tony Beattie
Though they fi nished just shy of a record, they were still
pleased with the result. And they are going to
try again.
Robert says the UK fi refi ghters only achieved their record
on their fourth attempt, and his team will probably benefi t
from refi ning their approach with practice.
““ “ ... ... ... And And they they are are going going to to
try again. again.
“
12 Issue No. 7 13
Tony Scott
Chris Trudgeon
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
James Young
“ try again.

Cover story Cover story
Campbell Cairns
It went very well...
we are pleased.
We put our heart
and soul into it.
““
Supported by a dedicated crew of helpers, and with
members of the public donating freely, the climbers began
the challenge at 3 pm and climbed a total of 92.16 km.
Despite training for the event for six months, they still
suffered sore and stiff muscles for days afterwards.
“It went very well...we are pleased. We put our heart and
soul into it.”
The team was: John Holah and Shaun Davis-Crowley
(Wellington), Oswald van Beerendonk, Chris Trudgeon,
Steve Robinson, Campbell Cairns, James Young and
Robert Holah (Auckland) Tony Scott and Tony Beattie
(Airport Rescue Fire).
Steve Robinson
Photos
dean#TReml
14 Issue No. 7
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005 15
Oswald van Beerendonk

Incidents Incidents
Hand of
support
Senior station offi cer Peter
Thwaites (left) offers support to
station offi cer Brent Key at the
scene of a fatal accident in
Southland.
Photo Barry Harcourt.
Region
tackles
tanker
risks
A tanker fi re in Bay-Waikato Fire Region was allowed to burn – the right decision by crews,
says Hamilton deputy chief fi re offi cer Martin Berryman.
Crews responded initially from Ngatea, Tahuna and Hamilton, followed shortly from Paeroa,
Turoa and Auckland.
“The tanker was on level ground on
the edge of State Highway 27 near
Kaihere, south of the State Highway
2 intersection in a rural area. It was
night time with virtually no breeze.
“It would take some time to stage all
the resources before effective and safe
extinguishment could be made, so the
decision was made to let the unit burn
after these considerations were
addressed.
“The top of the tank unit burnt away
producing level burning-down of the
tank shell. This allowed a balanced,
reducing liquid level. The fi re began
at about 3.12 a.m. and at about 7.25
a.m. divided into two separate fi res at
each end of the now mostly burnt
away tank. These self-extinguished
totally at about 8 a.m. The highway
re-opened at about 8.30 a.m.
“The other point crews had to
consider was that as this is a very
busy heavy vehicle highway, clearing
the initial 10 to 12 B-trains that had
lined up on either side of the incident
became a task in itself. Crews set up a
good process to achieve this.
“To help others faced with options,
one of which may include non-
Collision in
heavy fog
This car came out of a side road early
morning near Invercargill and was
involved in a collision with a truck
and trailer carrying sheep. The
accident happened in heavy fog early
February.
Photo Barry Harcourt/The Southland
Times.
extinguishment of a bulk fuel or
hazardous substances tanker fi re, we
created an A5 prompt card:
Considerations include:
• Assessment of risk to people, scene
and environment
• Vehicle position demographics.
Urban/rural/on/off roadway
• Vehicle positioned on fl at ground
• Stability of contained burning
product
• Ground fi re if any – intensity/
location
• Containment of ignited product
run off
• Radiated heat on exposures for
fi ve to six hours
• Environmental contamination
• Specialist support agencies
• Wind direction/spread/plume
height
• Assess resources required -
specialist appliances
• Establish and stage foam and
larger water capacity supplies
• Re-assessment of risk to people,
scene environment.”
The fi re was the result of a malfunction
in the braking system. The driver
managed to pull the truck off State
Highway 27 into a truck stop and
therefore avoided the road being
blocked.
Martin says about 66 bulk petrol
tankers carrying at least 30,000 litres
leave Tauranga every day and travel on
state highways towards Taupo and the
Waikato. Twenty-one bulk hazardous
substance tankers carrying 20,000
litres also leave Tauranga every day.
“This is not counting the coal and
timber transporters leaving Tauranga
and the high number of general
transport trucks moving through the
Waikato from Auckland to the Bay
and Taupo.”
“About a year ago we commissioned
a specialist appliance here that we
could use at large events both within
our district and to support
surrounding volunteer areas with
additional resources.” This includes
major truck incidents. The appliance
carries bulk foam, 90mm feeder
hose, large capacity lighting and a
large portable pumping capacity,
Martin says.
Photos Merv Neil.
16 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
March/April 2005
17

Incidents
Hot property
Incidents
Incidents Incidents
A vacant building in central Wellington was hit
by fi re twice in a fortnight.
An investigation into the fi rst fi re, on
February 25, was still underway when
the second fi re struck on March 6.
The second incident, being treated as
suspicious, did the most damage as
high winds fanned fl ames and part of
the building eventually collapsed.
Operations and training director Steve
Turek was in charge of this incident.
He said the gale force winds, and
fl ying roofi ng iron, presented huge
risks for fi refi ghters and there was a
great risk that the blaze would spread.
However the crews contained it.
“The crews did a great job containing
the fire, particularly under those
circumstances.”
Fourteen appliances from Wellington
and the Hutt Valley attended.
The fi rst fi re at the former Playgirls
Peep Show broke out about midday,
the second about 9pm. On the fi rst
occasion heavily smoke logged
premises with fi re on the ground fl oor
confronted Wellington crews.
Wellington City senior station offi cer
Paul Lyall says the incident went to
second alarm after City, Newtown
and Brooklyn’s arrival.
Paul says fi refi ghters attacked the blaze
with low pressure deliveries and then
made entry at the back, using a high
pressure and low pressure delivery.
The premises were searched with a
thermal imaging camera. “The fi re
never extended beyond the building.”
It took 10 minutes to get the fi rst
blaze under control. Paul says
incidents of arson in the older parts
of town are not uncommon.
“The fi re never extended beyond the building.”
18 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
19
Photos FOTOPRESS/Ross Setford, Lance Lawson
and Tim Wild.

Incidents
Incidents
Arson
suspected
for Te Mata
Peak
An arsonist was probably responsible for
a fi re which damaged a Hawkes Bay
landmark. Police think an accelerant
was used to fuel the big scrub fi re at
Te Mata Peak near Havelock North,
in February.
Photo FOTOPRESS/John Cowpland.
House gutted
This fi re broke out just before lunch on
December 21 in Swanson, Auckland.
It was unusual because the occupants were home at the
time, daylight hours. We arrived in just under seven
minutes.
Two adults, one baby and several children escaped. One
cat died at the scene under a bed. Even the fl oors in one
room were destroyed by the fi re. Only one scorched photo
album survived.
Henderson 657, Waitemata 671 and Glen Eden 641
responded. Fire safety offi cer Roy Warren investigated
the cause of the fi re.
Story/photos station offi cer
Graeme Quensell, Silverdale.
Kitchen fi re claims
two young lives
Seven days before we launched the Keep Looking When You’re Cooking kitchen fi re
campaign, two youngsters died in a fi re started by unattended cooking.
Auckland chief fire safety officer
Murray Binning says the incident
underlined many major home fi re
safety messages.
“Unattended cooking, smoke alarms,
speed of fi re, escape plans...everything
that could go wrong here went wrong.
With tragic consequences.”
An eight-year-old girl and her 10year-old
brother died as a result of
the Papatoetoe fi re in February. An
18-year-old woman had put a pan of
oil on the stove to prepare breakfast,
and then went to have a shower.
The oil ignited and the fi re spread
rapidly throughout the house, which
was gutted. The speed of the fi re was
such that when a station officer
happened to drive by just 20 minutes
earlier, nothing appeared to be wrong.
The woman, a 16-year-old boy and
their step-father escaped, but the fi re
claimed the life of the young girl, and
the boy died later in hospital.
Manukau deputy chief fi re offi cer
Andy Clarkson says the fi rst crew to
arrive, Papatoetoe, was
alerted by on-lookers that two
children were still inside. Flames were
belching from the window of the
bedroom they were in, and two
fi refi ghters climbed in with a high
pressure delivery. They brought the
youngsters out.
“This was tragic. And it’s not
something many people experience in
their careers as fi refi ghters. It was
traumatic for the two guys.” Andy
says the crews involved accepted an
invitation to have a chat with critical
incident stress supporters.
City 205 aerialscope was
called in because the
concrete tile roof was
unstable, and tiles began
falling on firefighters
inside the house. The
fi refi ghters withdrew and
the aerialscope attacked
the fi re from above.
Andy says the tragedy
was compounded by the
fact that the household
had experienced
the same type of
Photo FOTOPRESS/Graham Clark.
fi re only six weeks earlier. That time
the woman managed to catch it in time.
“It is tragic they didn’t learn from that
error. Now two children are no longer
here.”
The Fire Service had installed smoke
alarms in the house in 1999, but it is
unknown whether they were still
there, or if not, what happened to
them. Witnesses said they did not hear
smoke alarms during the incident.
City 205 aerialscope dislodged
dangerous tiles from the unstable
roof and attacked the Papatoetoe
fi re from above.
Ammonia leak
Tauranga, Mount Maunganui crews were called to an
ammonia gas leak at a Bay of Plenty factory. Roy Lemon
and Greg Meikle went into the factory and isolated the
leak which was in the refrigeration unit. The factory,
which exports green-lipped mussels, was evacuated.
Photo courtesy Bay of Plenty Times.
20 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
21

Incidents Incidents
Demolition derby
Hutt 417 and Hutt 411 were
called out to a “building collapse”
at Naenae.
Roof collapse leads to
defensive attack
“A catastrophic collapse” confronted
fi refi ghters at a house fi re in Auckland.
Avondale senior station offi cer Shaun
Thornton says the house was 80 to
90 percent involved on arrival. The
fi re started in the bedroom and raged
through the building thanks largely
to the Pinex ceilings, he says.
One low pressure delivery was used
initially, but when the roof collapsed
crews moved from offensive to
defensive attack.
Four pumps attended from Avondale,
Glen Eden and Mt Roskill and because
it was a hot, humid day care was taken
to ensure fi refi ghters were rotated to
avoid heat exhaustion. It took about
15 minutes to get most of the fi re out.
Shaun says the house was a
total loss with nothing
inside recoverable. There
were no smoke alarms and
neighbours called the fi re
brigade.
Five children were at
home, being looked after
by a 16-year-old, and noone
was hurt. The fi re was
caused by a carelessly
discarded cigarette.
Photo Nigel Capon.
On arrival they found a scene of
destruction with a 15-metre stretch
of the road, the footpath and
construction site covered in debris.
A new shed had been the victim of
high winds, the day before it was
due to be placed on its footings.
As his crew got to work with pinch bars, sledge hammers,
Halligan tools, chainsaw and disc saw, senior station
offi cer Rob Sullivan radioed a request for the response of
Hutt Valley Fire Police to provide resources.
Eight firefighters and 10 fire police continued the
demolition. Aluminium roofi ng was cut, rolled and carried
to a dumping spot in the construction yard. An entire wall
was given to 11 pairs of hands and carted off. 411 became
a tow truck, dragging away posts bolted to I-beams before
a forklift took over.
The shed had taken a fence and two street lights with it.
Power was isolated and the lights fell victim to 417s saw,
cut to a length not protruding beyond the kerb with the
remainder dropped on the growing pile of broken wood
and rolled-up roofi ng.
The fence was dropped back into the yard.
After two hours’ work Fire Service personnel handed over
to a private contractor.
Story/photographs FPC Matthew Poole,
Hutt Valley Fire Police
Afternoon fi re fi ght
Hamilton crews attended a mid-afternoon house fi re unusual in
its ferocity for the time of day.
The fi re started in the kitchen area.
Station offi cer Bruce MacGregor said
no-one was in the house when fi re
broke out at 2.30 p.m. It was well
involved on arrival. Neighbours did
not realize the house was on fi re until
they heard windows breaking, and
even then they assumed it was the
occupants breaking bottles.
“This was not noticed for a
considerable period of time,” said
Bruce. He said the extent of the blaze
was surprising for the time of day.
Firefighter Brian Thompson said
children were returning home from
school at the time so crews took the
opportunity to talk fi re safety and
hand out stickers to the youngsters.
Two low and two high
pressure deliveries were used
to control this mid-afternoon
house fi re in Hamilton.
Chartwell fi refi ghter Mike
Lee distributes fi re safety
pamphlets and stickers to
children on their way
home from school.
“We talked to them about what they
felt about it (the fi re) and how they
would have got out using ‘get down,
get low, get out’. Parents were very
impressed with what their kids
knew.”
The house was gutted.
22 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
23

Obituaries Obituaries
Mervyn Charles McFarlane QFSM
The longest serving fi refi ghter in the Gisborne East Coast area died late last year.
Mervyn Charles McFarlane QFSM,
of the Patuhati Volunteer Fire Brigade,
collapsed while attending an early
morning callout and died several
days later.
Merv was a founding member of the
brigade, 25 kms from Gisborne. The
brigade originally came under the
Patuhati Town Council, with Merv as
district chief fi re offi cer. When the
Fire Service took over the brigade in
1976, Merv was appointed offi cer in
charge and the brigade became part
of the Gisborne brigade.
The guard of
honour comprised
representatives of all
brigades of the East
Coast and Hawkes Bay.
The brigade was Merv’s greatest
passion after his family and he
devoted a lot of his time to it. A
carpenter, he played a great part in
the planning and building of the fi re
station and social room, the golf club
clubrooms and the local hall. He was
a keen gardener, golfer and a member
of the Poverty Bay Rugby Union.
Merv was renowned for being a
perfectionist in everything he did.
One of the greatest challenges for
Patutahi brigade was Cyclone Bola in
1988, when large areas were fl ooded
and there were mass evacuations with
many people accommodated in the
fi re station.
Merv served 46 years, making him
the longest serving fi refi ghter in the
Gisborne East Coast area.
Such was his popularity Merv’s
December 6 funeral attracted one of
the largest gatherings of fi refi ghters,
senior Fire Service offi cers and people
from the Gisborne and Patutahi
community the Gisborne brigade has
seen. Many of Merv’s comrades,
representing all the brigades of the
East Coast and Hawke’s Bay region,
were included in a guard of honour.
His wife Rio and family would like to
thank all those who attended Merv’s
“last call”, particularly acting chief fi re
offi cer John Haggland and volunteer
support offi cer Kevin Wallace who
arranged Merv’s funeral.
Clive “Sid” James
Retired Christchurch fi refi ghter driver Clive “Sid” James
died in January of a heart attack. He was 58.
Clive enjoyed a 35-year career as a
fi refi ghter and left the Fire Service
two years earlier to live with family
in Sydney.
Sockburn senior station officer
Graeme Berg worked with Clive for
16 years and describes him as a well
respected, well liked man. “He was a
brilliant fi reman, a superb driver and
great pump operator.”
Graeme says Clive had a great sense
of humour and was always in the
thick of social occasions at the fi re
station. He particularly excelled at
playing Father Christmas.
He was keen on rugby and a staunch
Canterbury supporter, so the Crusaders
theme was played at his funeral. Clive
died putting a bet on a horse at the TAB.
“He went doing what he enjoyed.”
Clive began his career as a volunteer
fi refi ghter at New Brighton, where he
worked for two years before becoming
a career fi refi ghter. He was presented
with his Gold Star at New Brighton
by retired commissioner Frank Hardy.
This is because he wanted to continue
the tradition which saw his father
presented with his Gold Star at the
same brigade by the then Christchurch
chief Frank Hardy. Mr Hardy was
present at the funeral.
Clive’s nephew is also a member of
the New Brighton brigade.
More than 400 mourners attended
the funeral service at Christchurch
City Fire Station, and Clive took his
last ride on the fi rst truck he rode in
his career. “That was very fi tting”,
says Graeme.
Clive James is survived by his wife
Margaret, a son and daughter and
two grandchildren.
“He was a good guy. Sid was Sid.”
Christchurch chief fi re offi cer Paul
Burns described Clive as immensely
popular “a real character” evidenced
by the massive turnout to his funeral.
Photos John McCombe.
24 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
25

Snapshots Snapshots
Teaming up for a games look
New Zealand competitors always come home from the World Firefi ghters’
Games with a haul of medals.
When they go overseas competitors
pay for the journey and costs
themselves, so it is very much a group
of individuals, rather than a New
Zealand “team”.
However, Fire Service operations and
training director Steve Turek believes
the organisation could go some way
to helping New Zealanders develop a
team look and spirit.
“I think at the moment they have no
specifi c identity as New Zealanders. I
know they do not often meet each
other until they are overseas.
Sometimes they end up being part of
other countries’ teams.”
Steve has suggested that the Fire
Service develop ways that competitors
can develop a sense of national
identity and for them to be able to
contact each other well before they
leave the country.
“This would mean they perhaps
organise accommodation together, or
develop teams in particular sports
before they leave. Have it all
organised.”
He says t-shirts or polo-shirt-type
garments could be created for
New Zealand games competitors,
and the Fire Service could set up an
area on the intranet FireNet where
competitors could meet each other.
Auckland senior fi refi ghter Martyn
Baker in action at the World Firefi ghters’
Games in Sheffi eld, England, 2004.
“This would offer some recognition
for our competitors, give them a way
to get together and give them a
presence and a look that clearly
identifies them as a team from
New Zealand.”
“Our competitors deserve to be
supported by us.”
Steve says the plan is not about taking
over organising games teams or
paying for costs.
“What I am saying is we can offer
some small support, behind the
scenes, to help people develop a team
spirit and a team look, so they feel a
sense of national identity and feel
part of the New Zealand Fire Service
when they compete overseas.”
Auckland City senior firefighter
Martyn Baker is a keen sportsman. He
was the fi rst to compete in the World
Firefighters’ Mountain Bike
Championships in France last year,
fi nishing 27 out of 92. Martyn helped
set up the World Firefi ghters’ Games
village in Sheffi eld last year and set out
the course for the mountain biking.
He is enthusiastic about a web site
and team look. The next games are
February 15-25, 2006, in Hong Kong,
the fi rst time they have been held in
Asia. Martyn says 6,000 competitors
are expected and he has his tickets
and accommodation booked already
and is out training.
“The idea of a link or something
similar through the website would be
great. That way we would be able to
get an indication of who is going and
what events they are in. It would be
great to have a national co-ordinator
or similar.”
Fire Service communications director
Debbie Barber, who manages FireNet,
says a link for games competitors can
be established and a polo-shirt
designed and be made available for
competitors to buy.
High rise
high jinks
“Damsel in distress” hotel
employee Heather Pay is “rescued”
by gallant Geoff Timpany and Ben
McLean. Ross Mawdsley looks on
below. The crew, superbly aided
and abetted by Heather, did not
miss the opportunity to ham it up
for the camera during a training
exercise at an Invercargill hotel in
February.
Photo Barry Harcourt/
The Southland Times.
Mana hat trick for Plimmerton
“We are happy to help with any
requests if there is interest from
competitors for a link or assistance
required with a design or look.” The Plimmerton Volunteer Fire Brigade won the Mana Cup for
the third consecutive time.
First contested in 1998 the event is
based on Fire Service drills, scenarios
and equipment in realistic emergency
situations.
The events are marked for speed,
adherence to Fire Service standard
operating procedures, safety
guidelines, scene management, offi cer
leadership, equipment use and
appearance of crews.
Porirua, Titahi Bay, Tawa and
Plimmerton clash every year.
Plimmerton chief fi re offi cer Russell
Postlewaight says it is important the
competitions are as realistic as
possible. “The positive spin-off from
all this is a better working relationship
with our colleagues and the chance to
work with equipment that would not
normally be used.”
Russell says he is proud of his brigade
and thanked the organizing team and
on-duty career crews who helped on
the day.
The Plimmerton winning team:
Firefi ghters Ed Hintz, Chris Parry
and Colin Vickery; station offi cers
Carl Mills and Tony Sutorious.
26 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
27

Snapshots
BA cylinders caged
A Timaru fi refi ghter has designed special safety
cages so BA cylinders can be transported safely.
Trevor Chapman’s design allows
cylinders to be carried in the back of
utes without damage to the cylinders
or the interior of the canopy. Volunteer
support offi cer Phil de Joux says the
cages mean cylinders can be loaded
and unloaded with the minimum of
back strain.
“I have used one for a while now
and I fi nd it brilliant.”
Trevor has built a number of the
cages for the Transalpine Fire
Region volunteer support offi cers’
utes.
Tsunami house fundraiser
Hamilton blue watch got behind a project to
raise money for tsunami victims. Armed with
smoke alarms and fi re safety advice the crew
took part in the construction of a house at no
cost by local industry, volunteers and
organisations, including the local council.
The house was later auctioned.
Photo FOTOPRESS/Bill Gibson.
...and a cold shower
Southland volunteer support offi cer Joe Manihera takes a shower
during the South Island competitions in February. Joe is former
chief of the Tiwai industrial brigade. The Otago-Southland
United Fire Brigades three-day conference was hosted by Bluff.
Senior station offi cer Darryl Papesch, senior
fi refi ghters Jeff Harvey, Alvan Walker, Shane
Thompson and Geoff Gray and station offi cer
Bruce MacGregor present smoke alarms to a
Hamilton City Council representative.
A hot run...
Maketu volunteer fi refi ghter Ricky Dyer completed
the Maketu mini triathlon in full fi refi ghting kit in
the Bay of Plenty.
Photo Barry Harcourt/The Southland Times.
Snapshots
Combined exercise
Seventy-seven runners and walkers
(everyone gets older) took part in the
annual Bruce Johnson and Trevor
Maskelyne memorial run organised
by the New Plymouth brigade in
December.
Police and Justice Department staff
joined the New Plymouth crews on
the 5km run.
The annual Bruce Johnson memorial
run fi rst started on the September 27,
1975, as a memorial for fi refi ghter
Bruce Johnson who was a brigade
member in New Plymouth for only
two years until tragically killed in a
motor bike accident on April 3, 1975.
The route covers the same course that
Bruce ran for training as a fi refi ghter.
The competition is for the fastest
individual time and on a watch basis,
with the fi rst four runners of a watch
determining the winning team. The
fastest recorded time was achieved in
1982 by Robbie Baxter at 14.12
minutes.
This run has been held every year
since its inception, and the winner
The route covers the same
course that Bruce ran for
training as a fi refi ghter.
and winning watch have their names
engraved on the frame of a painting
done by Bruce’s mother Flo to mark
the occasion.
In 1979 the Mt Erebus crash saw the
death of New Plymouth Police
constable Trevor Maskelyne, who
won the trip of a lifetime in a raffl e.
Trevor was also a keen runner and in
that year the Police joined the Fire
Service in a combined run.
In 2004 it was held on December 3, the
25th anniversary of the Mt Erebus
disaster.
Ironically we found out that Bruce
and Trevor were second cousins.
At a social event after the run Flo
presents the trophies to the fi rst Fire
Service runner and Trevor’s sister
presents the trophy to the fi rst Police
runner.
Rik Walsh from the New Plymouth
brigade won this year’s Bruce Johnson
prize as the fi rst Fire Service runner
home and blue watch was the fi rst
watch home.
By John Nicholls,
Deputy chief fi re offi cer, New Plymouth
28 Issue No. 7 The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005
29

Snapshots
Volunteer personnel
records to be
overhauled
Getting the real oil about volunteer fi refi ghters.
That’s the job taken on by former
Transalpine Fire Region commander
Brian Joyce.
Brian is managing a project that will
revolutionise the data collection
system covering all volunteer
fi refi ghters.
Fire Service human resources director
Vince Arbuckle says it is intended
that volunteer brigades will eventually
be able to use parts of the station
management system (SMS), but for
them to do this there needs to be
consistent and accurate volunteer
personnel records available in the
human resources management
information system (HRMIS) that
can, in turn, be shared with SMS.
Vince says the service and the United
Fire Brigades Association (UFBA)
have struggled over the years to
collect and maintain accurate
volunteer data at a national level.
...consulting with the
UFBA to ensure the
data will meet
its needs...
“There has been no comprehensive
examination of what data should be
held and the data maintenance
systems are incomplete. The Fire
Service’s strategic plan has an action
point to address volunteer data in the
current fi nancial year.”
He says SMS creates the chance to
address the issue comprehensively.
Brian, who retired last year, will lead
the Volunteer Data Verification
project.
The terms of reference include: an
internal consultation process to
determine the data requirements for
volunteers; consulting with the UFBA
to ensure the data will meet its needs;
designing a data collection process to
secure data on all existing and future
volunteers - this may require changes
to the volunteer joining process and
the information collected by brigades;
liaising with regional managers to
collect data on all current volunteers
and overseeing the loading of
volunteer data into HRMIS.
“
“The The Fire Service’s strategic plan has an action point to address
volunteer data in the current fi nancial year.
Offering information services to
all New Zealand Fire Service members
• Firefi ghting & rescue
• Fire safety
• Health & safety
• Leadership & career development
And much, much more
... just ask us
New Zealand Fire Service
Information Centre
Email: infoc@fi re.org.nz
Phone: (04) 496 3687
Visit:
http://fi renet.fi re.org.nz/Firenet/
BusinessUnits/InfoCentre/
Fires attended by the Fire Service
Fires per month (column graph)
Business excellence results
Avoidable Residential Structure Fire Fatality Rate per 100,000 Population
Annualised Rate per 100k Population
4,500
3,750
3,000
2,250
1,500
750
0
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0
Oct
Jul 98
Feb
Oct
Jul 99
Feb
Oct
Jul 00
Feb
Oct
Jul 01
Feb
Oct
Jul 02
Feb
Oct
Jul 03
Feb
0
Oct
Jul 04
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Injuries to Members of the Public
Number of injuries
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Mar
Nov
Jul 99
Fire attended per month (left scale)
12-month total number of fires attended (right scale)
Linear (12-month total number of fires attended (right scale))
2004/05 2003/04 Goal
FIRS 2000
Introduced
Mar
Nov
Jul 00
Mar
Nov
Jul 01
Mar
Nov
Jul 02
Mar
Nov
Jul 03
Jul 04 Nov
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
Injuries (left scale) Rolling 12 month Total (right scale) Goal
30 Issue No. 7
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine March/April 2005 31
480
400
320
240
160
80
0
12-month total injuries
12-month number of fi res
(line graph)

The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
www.fi re.org.nz