Fire & Rescue issue 12.indd - New Zealand Fire Service

August/September 2005 – Issue No. 12
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
A
fi refi ghter’s
story

August/September 2005
Issue No. 12
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 photo
Cover: A Seattle fi refi ghter talks
about what it was like to be deployed
to the New Orleans disaster.
Photo: Getty Images
Story Pages: 4–7
Contact us by email at:
grant.susan@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.
6
8
New initiatives The future for command .................................................................................3
SMS help at hand ...............................................................................................3
Incident A fi refi ghter in New Orleans –
“I’m not sure I would have believed...” .....................................................4
New Orleans fi refi ghters not alone ..........................................................6
Events Mystery Creek crash rescue bonanza .....................................................8
Fire’s Fab Four on Abbey Road ....................................................................8
Fire safety Station offi cer sold on sprinklers for his home ....................................9
National safety awards honour Taranaki town’s safety push .....9
Open home Open home a house on fi re .......................................................................10
Award It’s offi cial – we are clean and green! ...................................................12
Signed off Response protocols formalised .................................................................13
Values – what we stand for .......................................................................13
Profi les Esitone Pauga – Pacifi c Island role model .........................................14
Queen’s Birthday Honours recipients ...................................................14
Sports star takes on youth mentor role ...............................................15
SSO Houlihan: proud to protect his city ...............................................16
Incidents Chemical spill at northern school ............................................................17
Tender touch ........................................................................................................17
Crash in the mist ..............................................................................................17
Preparing for the worst .................................................................................17
Bird’s eye view ....................................................................................................18
Powder scares often genuine mistakes ................................................18
Sports Brotherhood kicked into touch .........................................................19–20
Sports Council Event Calendar 2005 ..........................................20–21
Donned and started Kiwi dusts off the competition ....................21
Round-up ...............................................................................................................22
Snapshots Blocked fl ue an eye opener ........................................................................23
Shift calendars ....................................................................................................23
New Fire Station A proud day for Remers ...............................................................................24
Gazette Notices ....................................................................................................................28
Appointments ............................................................................................29–30
15
17
19
10

The future for
command
A new state of the art combined hazmat
and command unit will soon be on show.
The unit is a prototype that has
involved months of planning. The
project team has included two
assistant fire region commanders,
a chief fire officer, a National
Headquarters national advisor
(operations) and a Hamilton Fire
Brigade team.
The vehicle will be toured around all
regions before Christmas. It will also
be on display for those attending
the AFAC Conference in Auckland
in October.
The prototype has a command
room, communications room and
outside awning area. It includes
hazmat stowage in removable pods
designed by Hamilton firefighters
to performance specifi cations from
the project.
The hazmat equipment looked at as
part of the project includes showers
SMS help at hand
A range of business planning tools is now on
FireNet under SMS information.
There is an online guide to integrated business
planning that includes total station workload
responsibilities, links to all the necessary background
material, such as the fi re safety manual, operational
instructions and SMS.
that meet environmental
requirements
for water collection
and more effective
decontamination and
new level three and
four suits.
Each station workload responsibility contains
information on how it is linked to the Fire Service’s
strategic plan and what is required to be completed.
The menu bar on FireNet is called SMS Information.
The communications
technologies used on the vehicle are
the best available internationally and
give the Fire Service the opportunity
to trial telecommunications
equipment, video capability and
other technology in an operational
setting.
The project team looked at other
command and hazmat units in
New Zealand and researched
communications and hazmat
developments in New Zealand
and overseas to ensure the prototype
was the best design possible.
New initiatives
Finishing touches are made to the
new hazmat/command unit at the
workshop in Auckland.
Photos Terry Hewitt
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
3

Incident
A A fi fi refi refi ghter ghter in New New Orleans… Orleans…
“I’m not sure I would
have believed…”
4 Issue No. 12
Photos: Getty Images
Gary Gary Allender Allender is a fi refi refi ghter ghter with with
the Shoreline Fire Department, just
north of Seattle. Gary and fellow
fi refi ghter Ed Barnes were deployed
to New Orleans. They sent regular
emails about the experience to a
fi refi ghter friend in New Zealand.
This is their account:
Email 1:
Well, it is Ed Barnes and myself that
have been deployed to New Orleans
area for at least 30 days of work. We
are to pack light and expect to be on
foot and without assistance for days at
a time. We are expecting the area to be
chaotic and without order…
Email 2:
Today was fi lled with training; a full eighthour
schedule of speakers on a range of
topics.
We have been instructed to group up into
groups of eight, so we have hooked up with
other two-man teams from Washington.
Tomorrow we meet at the FEMA station for
deployment orders.
At this time the worst damaged areas are
still not safe to de deployed into. There has
been some news coverage about the
fi refi ghters and FEMA. Apparently some of
the fi refi ghters that came down here were
unhappy with their assignment. They
apparently talked to the press and made
some outlandish statements.
Overall everyone that we have come into
contact with is in good spirits and excited
about doing whatever we may be called
upon to do.

Email 3:
We are still in Atlanta ready to be
deployed. They really have a good
system here, there have been many
teams processed through here and the
wait times are not bad at all. We
anticipate deployment tomorrow and
still don’t know where.
There are mixed emotions here with
the troops. Some think everything is
moving way too slow. I have tried to
put things into perspective and think
that they have set up and processed
thousands of people through Atlanta
in a short amount of time.
We have been meeting other
fi refi ghters from all over the nation.
It is sure impressive to know that
within hours of this disaster thousands
of firemen arrive at a designated
location with packs on their backs
ready to work. It is sure an awe
inspiring sight.
Email 4:
We started our day in San Antonio
checking shelters.
Ed and I stopped at a shelter that has
about 2000 people in it. The location
is an old department store in a mostly
abandoned mall. The department
store obviously has no showers…
a phone call somehow got placed to
the local fi re department around 3am
the day people were bussed in. Within
two hours the fi refi ghters had contacted
the manager of the local Home Depot
and had a delivery of supplies with
which they built showers.
Inside phone banks have sprung up
and computer connections have
become available with Red Cross
and FEMA members manning the
stations. They are getting people aid,
locating other family members. It is
inspiring.
Email Email 5: 5:
Incident
The stories…what do you say...the
stories...complete losses. They are
numerous and tragic. There are some
good stories mixed in. Today our team
assisted a guy with the internet to look
at the devastated area through a
website that had the satellite view.
He realised his house was outside the
fl ooded area.
One of the shelters we visited had 375
plus people and they have exhausted
the supplies of donated clothing and
apparel. The last shelter with 50
people has a room with tables stacked
high with clothes and no-one needs it.
We just keep solving issues like this.
Our team like many others really hope
to get into devastated areas to do a bit
more of the hands-on work that we
really specialise in. We have another
am conference with the regional heads
of FEMA – anything can happen.
We We are are in Orlando Orlando getting getting more more
training training for for further further missions. missions. They They
have have supplied supplied some some crews crews with with laptop laptop
computers computers and and GPS GPS for for the the New New
Orleans area.
The stories of complete loss are
amazing There are also stories of
heroic rescues, guys cutting holes in
roofs to get to people fl oating inside
buildings. It is all just amazing.
Working with people that have been
displaced is eye opening. I was trying
to get people signed in on the
computer so that they can check on
the status of their claims
The conversations go like this:
“Do you have an email address?”
(blank stare)
“Do you have a bank account we can
list?” (“Never had a bank account”)
“Do you have a favourite password?”
(“What for?”)
“Do you have a PIN number that
you use (“What is a PIN number?”)
Don’t take me wrong. I am not trying
to be mean. I am not sure I would
have believed the stories if I was not
here to witness it.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
5

Incident
New Orleans
fi refi ghters not alone
Reports courtesy Associated Press, Firehouse.com, Herald Standard.com
Firefi ghters from
throughout the
United States
travelled hundreds,
even thousands of
miles to lend a hand
to their New Orleans
colleagues.
6 Issue No. 12
The editor of website Firehouse.com
points out that no-one should
question the dedication and desire of
the countless fi refi ghters, EMTs and
rescue workers who sacrifi ced their
own lives to help.
“It’s not mentioned enough in the full
media. But certainly here it’s the most
appreciated thing.”
New Orleans firefighters, many
of whom lost their own homes and
did not even know the fate of their
families, struggled through the
Hurricane Katrina aftermath battling
blazes caused by everything from
natural gas leaks to candle accidents.
It could take weeks or even months
before the city regains water service
and electricity, meaning people will
continue to use candles to light their
homes.
Unclean river and fl ood water can be
used to fi ght fi res but only as a last
resort. The contaminates and debris
damage the pumping systems, fire
offi cials say.
The lack of water forced the
department to consolidate all its
operations in Algiers, the only section

of the city that had water service and
working hydrants.
However Algiers is across the
Mississippi River from the vast
majority of the city, forcing fi re trucks
to make time-consuming trips to fi ll
up with water.
Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) and
Department of Homeland Security
cancelled USFA
National Fire
Academy courses
for a week to allow
personnel to work
for the hurricane
relief effort.
Many fund raising
efforts to support
New Orleans firefighters
have been
launched, including
Adopt a Firehouse.
More details on
www.fi rehouse.com
Incident
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
7

Photo courtesy Kapi Mana News
Events
Watch and learn...
Mystery Creek crash rescue bonanza
World experts in heavy vehicle rescue
will share their skills in New Zealand
in October.
The road rescue learning symposium
on October 12 will be part of the
Australasian Rescue Challenge and
World Rescue Challenge events to be
held at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.
Project manager Chris Walbran, of
the New Zealand Fire Service, says
the symposium is designed to offer
firefighters, ambulance staff and
medical personnel from New
Zealand, Australia and other
countries attending an opportunity to
learn and exchange ideas.
“This is a great chance to learn from
internationally recognised experts.”
The Rescue Challenge Events to be
held October 8-15, have attracted
Fire’s Fab Four on Abbey Road
Something in the way they walk…
An Abbey Road retrospective,
featuring the Plimmerton Volunteer
Fire Brigade, heralded the annual and
traditional fi refi ghters’ ball.
One man even took his boots off to
8 Issue No. 12
teams from Australia, United
Kingdom, South Africa and Spain, as
well as Kiwis.
To make the competition possible
150 Holden vehicles have been
donated. With a retail value of more
than $6.7 million the Monaros,
honour the true spirit of the Beatles’
classic album cover, and someone
brought a guitar and someone else
wore cool shades.
The image, taken by the Kapi Mana
Commodores, Rodeos and others
have been shipped to New Zealand
from Australia by Holden, who say
the vehicles were used for engineering
evaluation and not for public sale.
Organisers of the Mystery Creek
crash rescue bonanza in October
pose with some of the brand
new vehicles to be turned into
scrap metal. From left: Chris
Walbran, Clive Whittfi eld, Colin
Lawrie, Tony Laker, chair Peter
Guard, Alan Walker, Roy Breeze,
Todd O’Donoghue, John Thorn,
Ken Brokenshire, Merv George.
News, featured on the front page to
promote the brigade’s 1960s theme
fund raiser in October.
The Fab Four are Ed Hintz, Tim Manawaiti,
Carl Mills and Joe Higgins. On the truck are
Russell Postlewaight, Gordon Tovey
(obscured) and John Forster.
Photo Rhys Palmer

Station offi cer sold on
sprinklers for his home
Installing a domestic sprinkler
system in his home is a no-brainer
as far as Hastings station offi cer
Rob Karaitiana is concerned.
“You can replace any material items
after a fi re…but not my family.”
Rob installed the system when he
built a new house at Waimarama
Beach, Southern Hawke’s Bay, about
a year ago. He realised the value of
home sprinklers after 20 years of
turning out to fires and “needless
fatalities” he says.
He says a sprinkler system coupled
with a smoke detector in each room
will retard a fi re, halve the amount
of toxic smoke, warn of the fi re and
give his family time to get out safely.
A cost of $1500 is a small price to
pay to ensure his family is safe.
Rob has installed sprinkler heads and
smoke alarms in every room. He says
the new standard NZS4517 makes
the requirements to install a domestic
sprinkler system much easier.
This can be done by a trained
plumber in either a house as it is
being built, or retro-fi tted into an
existing home.
“The only disappointment in the
process was my insurer, they offered
a discount for the burglar alarm, but
were not interested in the fi re sprinkler
system…they didn’t seem to understand
the benefits of one, therefore it was
National safety awards honour
Taranaki town’s safety push
Waitara’s Home Safety Project was highly commended in the
New Zealand Community Safety and Injury Prevention Awards.
The project involved 12 fire safety ambassadors supported by
members of the Waitara Volunteer Fire Brigade installing smoke
alarms, developing escape plans and promoting fi re and home safety
messages in Waitara households.
A partnered approach saw State Insurance, Work and Income,
Housing New Zealand and ACC provide resources, with a fi nancial
grant from the Taranaki Electricity Trust.
The project finished in August and the ambassadors visited 2500
households in six months.
Western assistant fi re region commander Mitchell Brown says the award,
presented at a ceremony in Wellington, was the icing on the cake of a
successful fi re and home safety partnered community initiative.
Fire safety
obvious to me that they wouldn’t be
encouraging installation to their clients
nationwide.
“Come on insurers – get on board”.
Photo Lance Lawson
At the Community Safety and Injury Prevention
Awards, Wellington, were, from left: Waitara
Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief fi re offi cer
Lynn Fitzsimons, Associate Minister of Health
Damien O’Connor, Waitara senior station offi cer
Greg Cox, ACC chief executive Garry Wilson and
fi re safety offi cer/Waitara Home Safety project
manager Matt Crabtree.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
Photos Kerry Marshall
9

Open home
10 Issue No. 12
Open
home
a house
on fi re
Dunedin’s fi rst open
home went off like a
house on fi re.
Photos: Hannah Johnston, Otago Daily Times, Station Offi cer Jason Hill

Station officer Jason Hill says the
secret to the perfect open home is the
perfect house, and this indeed had
the “wow” factor.
“People could not believe the
damage.” It is believed the fi re was
caused by a heater.
From the room that got away thanks
to a closed door, to the gutted
bedroom, melted aluminium window
frames and melted sheets of glass –
all the elements for the perfect fi re
safety messages were there.
Jason says the city’s fi rst open home
was a great success the brainchild of
one of his crew.
Almost 700 people went through the
house, hosted by green watch city
and sub-station crews. Jason says the
Fire Service open home kit, provided
by Dunedin’s fi re safety offi cer Barry
Gibson, was a great aid. The kit
includes signs describing the
characteristics of a house fire
such as temperatures reached at
certain points, and where the
smoke layer was.
Firefi ghter Simon Smith, green watch city,
shows visitors the room of origin.
Open home
He was rapt by the public response,
particularly as the Saturday turned
out cold and grey. The home was
open from 10 am until 2 pm and was
timed to allow for the morning’s
sports fi xtures.
Once people had been shown through
the house fi refi ghters were on hand to
talk and leave the visitors with written
material to take away.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
11

Photo courtesy FOTOPRESS
Award
It’s offi cial –
we are clean
and green!
It was almost showdown at high noon
between the Fire Service and the
Auckland Regional Council.
A decade ago our environmental
practices were a bit Wild West until
the stand-off was diffused by some
plain talk and co-operation. Now the
council thinks highly enough of the
Fire Service to honour it with an
environmental award.
“Ten years ago normal operational
practices were very different. The Fire
Service was not environmentally
conscious. It was dilution was the
solution.” says Fire Service hazardous
materials expert Dick Thornton-
Grimes.
Firefi ghters are often the fi rst on the
scene of an incident where chemical
spills are involved, and therefore they
have the greatest power to eliminate
12 Issue No. 12
or at least minimise
environmental damage,
Dick says.
Things came to a head a few years
back when the regional council got
really grumpy with the Fire Service,
and reminded it about its
responsibilities under the Resource
Management Act.
Dick says that after we were read the
riot act things changed. Pollution
incident response got a whole new
make-over thanks to the work and
initiative of firefighters who front
up to chemicals and other nasties
all the time.
Firefighters and the Auckland
Regional Council now work in
partnership at any incident where
Former Auckland Fire Region Commander Paul McGill
(right) and hazmat expert Dick Thornton-Grimes
accept the environment award from Auckland Regional
Council deputy chair Christine Rose.
there is a risk of environmental
damage. If a hazmat incident occurs
then the council’s pollution control
team is automatically paged as part
of the notifi cation system. The team
can then call the Fire Service for more
information and decide whether it
needs to attend.
Behind the scenes the Fire Service
profiles Auckland sites where it is
known hazardous substances are used,
and works with the council on this.
Dick says the fact the council’s pollution
response team nominated the Fire
Service for the environmental award is
signifi cant, because it shows just how
far the relationship between the two
has come since the bad old days.
Foam is sprayed at the scene of a petrol tanker crash in Auckland.
The tanker carried 35,000 litres of fuel and 5,000 litres spilled and
caught fi re. Incidents such as this have the potential to cause huge
environmental damage, and Auckland fi refi ghters have been
honoured for their care in minimising pollution in the city.

Response protocols
formalised
The Fire Service and St John have
signed an agreement covering response
protocols.
The memorandum of understanding formalises the
co-response arrangements that have operated between
the Fire Service and St John for many years.
The agreement sets out the defi nitions of the services to
be provided, policies and procedures that apply to
personnel, and the expectations of both parties.
Fire Service chief executive/national commander Mike
Hall says that co-response is in the best interests of
patients and the community.
“It make sense to utilise our resources co-operatively.
While the Fire Service is not always available to assist
St John, we have the capacity and willingness to do so.”
St John chief executive Jaimes Wood said fire and
ambulance have always sought to co-operate wherever
possible.
The Fire Service, NZPFU and UFBA have recently agreed
to a set of fi ve values for the Fire Service.
The values, listed below, are what all personnel – career,
volunteer and specialist support staff – say they and this
organisation stand for.
• Serving our communities • Skill
• Integrity • Comradeship • Adaptability
Fire Service chief executive/national commander Mike
Hall says the values came out of last year’s All Personnel
Survey which included a question that asked personnel to
rate a range of possible values and to prioritise them.
A poster, outlining our vision, mission and values has
been developed for all offi ces and fi re stations. The values
will also be introduced into our induction, training and
evaluation systems.
Signed off
From left: St John chancellor Rob Fenwick, chief executive Jaimes
Wood, Fire Service Commission chairperson Dame Margaret
Bazley and chief executive/national commander Mike Hall sign the
memorandum of understanding between the two organisations.
“We are delighted to conclude the documentation of
these arrangements that seek to use community resources
in the best way possible and improve the outcomes for
selected patients.”
Values – what we stand for
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
Photo Lance Lawson
13

Profi les
Esitone Pauga –
Pacifi c Island
role model
Auckland station offi cer Esitone Pauga
hopes he is viewed as a role model for
Pacifi c Island fi refi ghters.
The Samoan who joined the Fire
Service 23 years ago says his career is
an example of what can be achieved
in the Fire Service.
As a young firefighter he decided
early on that he did not want to be
on the trucks when he came to
retirement. He found the Fire Service
offered different career paths and
planned towards extending his skills
to take advantage of the opportunities
available.
Esitone always had an interest in
building design and construction, so
studied for and gained a Certifi cate in
Architectural Drafting followed by a
Bachelor of Construction Degree.
The work of Auckland’s fi re engineers
came to his attention and he made
Esitone praises the Fire Service as an
employer for supporting and
encouraging him every step of the
way as he developed his career,
particularly at district and regional
management level.
Esitone works hard for his Pacific
Island (PI) community and certainly
to forward the interests of Pacific
people in the Fire Service. When he
Queen’s Birthday Honours recipients
Photo Lance Lawson
14 Issue No. 12
himself known to them and asked to joined the Fire Service there was a
become involved. Not long after that handful of Pacifi c Island fi refi ghters,
the new Building Act 2004 meant a now there are about 35.
greater role for the Fire Service in
building design. The design review
unit, with a much increased
complement of fire engineers, was
established and Esitone applied for
one of the positions.
He was an inaugural member of the
equal employment opportunities
group, has spearheaded the launch of
an Auckland Pacifi c Island fi refi ghters
group and was a member of the
national recruitment team, and
Auckland region recruitment.
The Pacifi c Islands Firefi ghters Group
has been set up to make sure fire
safety messages are being given to the
communities that need them in a way
that is acceptable and using their own
languages. The group is also working
to encourage other Pacifi c Islanders
to consider the Fire Service as a career
option.
Five Fire Service men were recently invested
with their Queen’s Birthday Honours Honourss.
Left to right Boyd Hole (Thames), Michael Mosby
(Waitemata), Alan Spurdle (Inglewood) and Joe
Thomas (Chatham Islands) gathered in Wellington
to receive their Queen’s Medal for Public Service.
Invercargill fi re policeman Neville Checketts was
also awarded a QSM for public service, as a
leading figure in Southland’s Civil Defence.
Neville has been a Fire Service volunteer for
43 years.

Sports star takes on
youth mentor role
Tai-anne was recently selected for the
New Zealand open mixed touch team, which
has added to her many achievements in her
sporting career.
She will attempt to help the New Zealand squad knock
over 16 other countries, including rival Australia, at
the All Nations tournament in Christchurch in October.
She is the only player from the South Island to make the
14-person squad.
The selection, which Tai-anne said was a surprise,
came on the back of a strong performance when
she helped Southland win the national division B
title in Christchurch in March.
Tai-anne has also represented New Zealand
at sevens rugby.
But when the 27-year-old is not
throwing the long cut out pass
or producing a jinking
sidestep on the touch
field, she is
helping
protect the city as
part of the Invercargill
Fire Brigade.
Long-time touch coach and youth
worker Sam Thompson has jumped
at the chance to use Tai-anne, because
of her sporting talents and firefighting
position, as a role model for many of the youth
he works with.
Profi les
Fighting fi res and wearing the silver fern in her chosen sport certainly make Southland touch
star Tai-anne Te Muunu someone many youngsters would be proud to have as a mentor.
“For them to see her doing what she does, in a
predominantly male job, shows them what they can
achieve if they want to.
‘Also, sports-wise, a lot of the girls look up to her for
what she has done.”
Tai-anne said she was just pleased to help and didn’t
really give much thought to her mentor role.
The focus now for the born-and-raised Southlander
is to make sure she is prepared to pull on the
black singlet for the All Nations
tournament in October.
Southland touch player and fi refi ghter
Tai-anne Te Muunu with youth worker
Sam Thompson and Brooke Dawson,
16. Tai-anne acts as a mentor for many
Invercargill youth, including Brooke.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
Photo and story courtesy The Southland Times
15

Story/photo courtesy Kapi Mana News
Profi les
SSO Houlihan: proud to
protect his city
Porirua fi re station was left a bit quiet when Martin Houlihan fi nished his last day on the job to
retire after 43 or so years fi ghting fi res, almost all of them in Porirua.
Well, actually, the place was deathly
quiet without the wise-cracking,
story-telling, laughing senior station
offi cer.
Yet the speech Martin wrote for the
large gathering of people who were
to farewell and honour him began:
“As many of you know, I am not one
for talking much.”
Martin had a lot to talk about – and
his mates had a lot of stories about
him, too.
He got into firefighting almost by
accident when his brother, a volunteer,
was called to fi ght a fi re and needed
16 Issue No. 12
a ride – right into the middle of
the action.
“I thought it was total chaos,” he
says. “I thought I could do better.
But when I found out that the mess
was really highly organised chaos,
I was hooked.”
I’m not a hero,
but this is my town
and we all take
great pride in being
its protectors.
Martin spent about three years in the
Titahi Bay Volunteer Fire Brigade
before joining the career staff. He
spent much of his senior career
teaching, developing and facilitating
best practice for fi refi ghting.
But in the early days you couldn’t
keep him away from a fi re, even off
duty.
Once, at a huge fi re that destroyed a
Tawa timber mill, he found himself
“off duty, sitting in my good clothes
and new slacks on top of what I
later learned was a ‘cyclone’ (the big
metal cone-shaped tanks outside
timber mills).
He wondered why he was detailed
there, applying water to the sawdust
inside the thing.
Only later did he learn “that these
things can explode like a bomb
when the sawdust ignites. My clothes
were ruined.”
Martin says his most bitter memories
are of the Fire Service re-organisation
which he believes was badly handled,
leading to great grief for fi refi ghters.
“We used to be like a family,” he said.
“That cost some lives.”
Firefi ghters are always moaning, he
says, but he “wouldn’t have swapped
it for quids.”
“It’s a good feeling to know that you
can front up to danger and cope with
fi res others fl ee. I’m not a hero, but
this is my town and we all take great
pride in being its protectors.”
Martin said he would ‘especially miss
the men of my watch, my brigade,
my brothers in arms, or should I say
hoses, the special bond only the badge
wearers can know.”

Chemical spill
at northern
school
Whangarei crews were called to a chemical
spill at Kamo High School in Whangarei.
Methylated spirits leaked in a chemical
storeroom and two teachers were taken to the
medical centre as a precaution. The shed was
fi lled with fumes.
Tender touch
An elderly woman is helped from her car after
she ran over a power box and through a fence.
Photo Jill McKee/Southland Times
Incidents
Crash Crash in in the the mist mist
Photo Barry Harcourt/Southland Times
Preparing for
the worst
Fire crews tackle a fire during a
training exercise at Marsden Point Oil
Refi nery. (The New Zealand Herald
image was taken fi ve years ago).
Photo North Advocate
Occupants of a four-wheel drive are
spoken to by Police after it lost control
and rolled near Invercargill.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
17

Incidents
Bird’s eye view
Christchurch’s aerial was called out to help Police
photograph the scene where a body was found
on the banks of the Waimakariri River.
Chief fi re offi cer Paul Burns says the
aerial is often called to help Police
photographers get a bird’s eye
views of scenes under
investigation.
Photo courtesy Christchurch Press
Powder scares
often genuine
mistakes
White powder incidents
are often genuine mistakes
rather than hoaxes.
An Auckland deputy chief fi re offi cer
Graham Fuller says such incidents
have become common; some are
copycat hoaxes but many can be
genuine errors, particularly when
talcum powder is used as part of the
packing process.
In the latest call out in early September
two people from a Shortland
Street office building had to be
decontaminated after an envelope
containing a white powder was
received in the mail.
18 Issue No. 12
Photo: New Zealand Herald/Richard Robinson

National rugby
The national team lines up for a photo.
Brotherhood kicked
into touch
Firefi ghters are not brothers on the rugby fi eld.
Once again teams clashed in the national rugby
tournament, this year hosted by Hawke’s Bay.
The host team happened to win the fi nal with a
convincing 38-12 against Southland.
Organiser Bruce Botherway, a
Hastings brown watch senior
fi refi ghter, says that as usual it was
a hard fought tournament.
Sports
Indeed, a spectator in the medical centre
pointed out that she used to think all
fi refi ghters were brothers.
“Not on the rugby fi eld,” says Bruce.
Other teams competing were Dunedin,
Wellington, Bay-Waikato and
Auckland. Bruce thanks
sponsors Big Kahuna
Fishing Charters,
Star Foods and Tui.
As usual the
Golden Oldies match ended in a draw.
Dunedin is to host next year’s tournament,
followed by Wellington in 2007.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
Photos Kerry Marshalla
19

Sports
New Zealand team
15 John Duffy Southland
14 Dylan Higginson Wellington
13 Waka Petera Hawke’s Bay
12 Steve Campbell Auckland
11 Matt Whyte Southland
10 Simon McFarlane Hawke’s Bay
9 James Young Auckland
8 Glen Varcoe Hawke’s Bay
7 Trent Frew Southland
6 Randell Stewart Auckland
5 Mike Peachey Hawke’s Bay
4 Craig Campbell Auckland
3 Dylan Roberts Southland
2 Hayden Penny Hawke’s Bay
1 Mike Penny Hawke’s Bay
Back reserves
Richard Larkin Wellington
Kylie Kanohi Bay/Waikato
Rubin Smith Hawke’s Bay
Judd Thompson Hawke’s Bay
Forward Reserves
Clint McIvor Otago
Merrick Brown Hawke’s Bay
Jay Culhane Bay/Waikato
Jamie Nichol Hawke’s Bay
Coach Ian Butler, Wellington
Manager Graeme (Daisy) Day,
Hawke’s Bay
Player of the Tournament
Dylan Higginson Wellington
20 Issue No. 12
SPORTS
COUNCIL
Event
Calendar
2 0 0 5
Rugby results in full
Results after round robin play:
1 Southland 2 Auckland 3 Hawke’s Bay 4 Wellington 5 Bay/Waikato 6 Otago
Semi’s: Southland 5 vs Wellington 0 • Auckland 5 vs Hawke’s Bay 10
Plate: Wellington 7 vs Auckland 12
Final: Hawke’s Bay 34 vs Southland 12
Overall placing:
1 Hawke’s Bay 2 Southland 3 Auckland 4 Wellington 5 Bay/Waikato 6 Otago
Golden Oldies: Game a draw
Trophies won: Hawke’s Bay Judd Zammit Trophy 1st Place
(Trophy for most players named in the NZ team)
Southland trophy for most points score
Auckland Referees Award
Bay/Waikato Best Dressed team
Otago Most Sporting Team and wooden spoon
National Basketball Tour/Manaia F/B
30th Sep-2nd Oct – contact: brett.cowper@fi re.org.nz
Western Southland Gold Tournament/Stewart Island
8th Oct – contact: Jayne Wilson Phone 03-219 1207
Australasian and World Rescue Challenge/Hamilton
8th-15th Oct – contact: collielaw@actrix.co.nz
Indoor Rowing Competition/Dunedin
Starts 30th Sep – contact: logan.akers@fi re.org.nz
Invercargill chief fi re offi cer Maurice Robertson is pretty
proud of his four fi refi ghters that made the NZ Fire rugby
team after the Southland team fi nished 2nd at the national
tournament at Napier. From left are, John Duffey, Trent
Frew, Daniel Roberts (Tiwai) and Matt Whyte.

National Golf Tour/Napier
11th-14th Oct – contact: tony.versteeg@fi re.org.nz
Australasian Golf Tour/Brisbane
30th Oct – contact: ray.shields@fi re.org.nz
Sports
Donned and started Kiwi
dusts off the competition
After dusting off the competition climbing
New Zealand’s tallest building, North Shore
fi refi ghter Steve Callagher has gone on to win
the Rialto Tower run in Melbourne.
The East Coast Bays fi refi ghter won the Climb for Charity
held at the Auckland Sky Tower in June.
And it was prefect training for the Rialtos 55 fl ights of
stairs that he mastered in 12.39 minutes wearing
protective clothing and a BA, all weighing about 22kgs.
Eight other Kiwis went over to take on the Aussies at the
challenge.
Now he has won two events this year the pressure is on
for him to compete in the world fi refi ghter tower climb
championship held in Seattle during March.
That event makes its way up a tower with 69 fl oors.
The Kiwis took their own suits over and the Australians
provided the BA sets which are slightly lighter than the
New Zealand ones.
In Australia all the competitors started together, where as
in Auckland they were 15 seconds apart.
This time round Steve says he had a better idea of where
he was and didn’t have to run himself into the ground.
North Canterbury F/BAs Golf Tournament/Oxford
16th Oct – contact: oxford@fi re.org.nz
Wellington West Coast Golf Tour/Foxton
6th Nov – contact: robert.christie@fi re.org.nz
Taranaki Provincial Golf Tour/Inglewood
6th Nov – contact: stratford@fi re.org.nz
To list your sporting event on this space please send details to: warren.dunn@fi re.org.nz
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
Photo: North Shore Times
21

Sports
Sportsperson
of the Year
Who will be our next
top sportsperson?
The Fire Service Sports Council
is calling for nominations
for Sportsperson of the Year,
Special Achievement Award
and applications for loans and
grants.
Nominations and applications
need to be in by October 23.
Check FireNet for details or:
The secretary
Email:
molenaar.james@fi re.org.nz
Fire Service Sports Council
4 Kim Street
Wainuiomata
Wellington
Indoor
rowing
The Fire Service national indoor
rowing competition, 2000
metre individual and 10,000
meter teams events:
For more information:
Logan Akers (red watch)
Willowbank Fire Station
Tel: 03-473-0618
22 Issue No. 12
Fax: 03-473-6032
Email:
akers.logan@fi re.org.nz
Round-up
Softball tournament –
combined services
The next combined services annual
softball tournament is to be held in
February 2006. If you are interested
contact Glenn Hogan email:
hogan.glenn@fi re.org.nz or:
Glenn Hogan
NZFS Softball Council
Newtown Fire Station
318 Mansfi eld St
Newtown
Wellington 6003
The Fire Service softball council
was invited to participate in this
event for the fi rst time this year.
Glenn is seeking to organise
men’s and women’s teams.

Blocked
flue an eye
opener
With fl ues in this condition,
completely blocked with ash, no
wonder chimney fi res are a
perennial winter problem.
Invercargill brigade’s winter fi re
safety campaign included making
a public point about the
importance of cleaning chimneys.
Deputy chief Peter Burtonwood
is pictured keeping a close eye
on the problem.
Shift calendars
For the fi rst time all brigades have the opportunity
to purchase the credit card size shift calendars
produced by the Dunedin Fire Brigade Social Club.
The calendars are colour coded per watch and contain
information about statutory and school holidays. They
cover February to February and can be used to record
callbacks, stand-ins and other important dates.
The club already receives 4000 orders, but decided to
open up the opportunity wider because of the calendars’
popularity.
Watches or stations can either order a
calendar with standard cover page for
$2, or your own wording to a maximum
of eight words or characters can be
added for a cost of $2.50 per calendar.
Orders close on October 31. The order
form is available on FireNet.
The calendars will be posted before
Christmas.
Snapshots
Photo Barry Harcourt
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
23

Obituary New Fire Station
A proud day for
Remuera’s new fi re station was offi cially opened by
Internal Affairs Minister George Hawkins in September.
The new building replaced the old
station, built in the 1920s on the same
site. Auckland City East chief fire
offi cer Russell Wood said crews had
played a signifi cant role in the design
and planning for the new station and
the end result was something they
could all be proud of.
VIPs present for the opening
including Fire Service Commission
chairperson Dame Margaret
Bazley, chief executive/national
commander Mike Hall, Fire Service
kaumatua Dr Hare Puke and then
Epsom MP Richard Worth.
Remers
Long service and good conduct
medals were presented to Otahuhu station
offi cer Bob Morrison (14 year) and Remuera station
offi cer Marcel Sanders (21 year clasp).
Remuera old boys from around the country also
took the opportunity to share in the occasion.
Photos Dean Treml
24 Issue No. 12
From left: Gary Beer of Te Roopu Tinei Ahi
Tamaki Makaurau (group of fi refi ghters from
Auckland), iwi representative Ngamaru Reirino,
chief fi re offi cer Russell Wood and Auckland
Fire Region commander Steve Turek.

Chief executive/national commander Mike Hall
talks to Remuera old boy Willy Clark.
Internal Affairs Minister George Hawkins
(left) presented long service and good
conduct medals to station offi cers Marcel
Sanders and Bob Morrison.
New Fire Station Fleet
Fire Service Commission
chairperson Dame Margaret
Bazley watches as Internal Affairs
Minister George Hawkins opens
the Remuera Fire Station.
Auckland Fire Region
commander Steve Turek
(right) and Fire Service
kaumatua Dr Hare Puke.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August/September 2005
25

By order of the Fire Service Commission
Notices page 28
Appointments pages 29–30
Notices for the Fire Service Gazette should
be emailed to: nzfs.gazette@fi re.org.nz
Fire Service Gazette August/September 2005
27

28
Notices
Notices
Notice No: 48/2005
William Hanna Estate Gift Local fi re safety education/promotions work – Funding recipients
The recipients of the William Hanna Gift Estate for 2005 are:
Cust Volunteer Fire Brigade for educational advertising signs
Waiuku Volunteer Fire Brigade for a fi re safety poster competition in support of FireWise
New Plymouth Fire Brigade for a programme about cooking safety targeting the elderly
Mr William Hanna, a retired civil servant, left a gift in his will to the New Zealand Fire Service to use “for its
charitable purposes”. The gift is an annual payment from a trust administered by the Public Trust Offi ce.
Debbie Barber
Director Communications
Notice No: 49/2005 Policies
POLHR 6.8 Reimbursement for Loss of Income. Reimbursement rates for loss of income are reviewed
annually at 1 July. Personnel are advised this policy has been amended effective 1 July 2005. The amended
policy is available to all personnel on FireNet.
POLFA2.3 Treasury Policy and POLFA5.1 Banking are now available on FireNet and the policies drive.
POLFA5.1 replaces the existing policy and POLFA2.3 is a new policy.
Notice No: 50/2005 National Dress Code for Uniformed Personnel
This Operational Instruction has been under revision since January this year. Following an extensive consultation
process it has now been approved and is available on FireNet. It can be accessed through the following path:
Manuals/Policy/Forms, - Operational Instructions Series, - Operational Management, - Section F.
This instruction replaces the previous Section F of the Operational Management Manual and the relevant
sections of Part 6 of the National Commander’s Instructions. The sections of Part 6 relating to Level III and IV
Protective Equipment are still current and therefore have not been deleted.

Appointments
Vacancy Position Filled Person
Appointed
. Chief Fire Offi cer, Pleasant Point
Volunteer Fire District
. Offi cer, Temuka Volunteer Fire
District
. Chief Fire Offi cer, Waihi Beach
Volunteer Fire District
. Deputy Chief Fire Offi cer, Te
Kauwhata Volunteer Fire District
. Senior Station Offi cer, Tuakau
Volunteer Fire District
. Station Offi cer, Taukau
Volunteer Fire District
Brian
Schimanski
Proposed
Start Date
5 September
2005
Richard Webb 5 September
2005
Appointments
Previous Position Held
Deputy Chief Fire Offi cer,
Pleasant Point Volunteer
Fire Brigade
Station Offi cer, Temuka
Volunteer Fire Brigade
Ian Smith . Deputy Chief Fire Offi cer,
Waihi Beach Volunteer
Fire Brigade
Glen Whitaker . Station Offi cer, Te Kauwhata
Volunteer Fire District
Peter Green 15 August
2005
Richard
Cruickshank
15 August
2005
101/2005 Firefi ghter, Arapawa Fire Region Angelene Saba 2 September
2005
103/2005
- 3058
104/2005
- 3031A
Senior Analyst, National
Headquarters, Wellington
Communicator (Part-time),
Northern Communications
Centre
74/2005 Fire Safety Offi cer, Western Fire
Region
85/2005
- 3010
90/2005
- 3142
90/2005
- 3146
Communications Centre
Manager, Central
Communications Centre,
Wellington
Communicator, Northern
Communications Centre
Communicator, Northern
Communications Centre
Dirk Catsburg 10 October
2005
Carena Henry 5 September
2005
Darrin
Alexander
17 October
2005
Ian Scott 8 August
2005
Dallas Ramsay 31 August
2005
John Millar 5 September
2005
Station Offi cer, Tuakau
Volunteer Fire Brigade
Senior Firefi ghter, Taukau
Volunteer Fire Brigade
Firefi ghter, Hutt Fire District
SMS Project Team
.
.
Operations Manager, Central
Communications Centre,
Wellington
Communicator, Part-time
Fire Service Gazette August/September 2005
.
29

30
Appointments
Vacancy Position Filled Person
Appointed
. Chief Fire Offi cer,
Bay/Waikato Fire Region
. Chief Fire Offi cer,
Bay/Waikato Fire Region
. Chief Fire Offi cer,
Northland Fire Region
. Deputy Chief Fire Offi cer,
Transalpine Fire Region
. Senior Station Offi cer,
Western Fire Region
. Station Offi cer,
Western Fire Region
83/2005
- 3212
84/2005
- 3213
Finance Offi cer,
National Headquarters
Finance Offi cer,
National Headquarters
2005 Station Offi cer,
Bay/Waikato Fire Region
91/2005
- 5001
Executive Assistant To National
Rural Fire Offi cer,
National Headquarters
Murray
Paterson
Proposed
Start Date
Previous Position Held
. Deputy Chief Fire Offi cer,
Benneydale Volunteer Fire
Brigade, Benneydale Fire
District
Shane Beech . Deputy Chief Fire Offi cer,
Maketu Volunteer Fire
Brigade, Maketu Fire District
Lindsay Murray . Deputy Chief Fire Offi cer,
Kaeo Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Kaeo Fire District
Ray Gardner . Senior Station Offi cer, Fairlie
Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Fairlie Fire District
Tony Foley . Station Offi cer, Stratford
Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Stratford Fire District
Danny
McSweeney
Kylie Davies 5 September
2005
Adrienne
Samuela
. Senior Firefi ghter, Stratford
Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Stratford Fire District
12 September
2005
Geoffrey Carter . Station Offi cer, Kawerau
Fire District
Vanessa Lang 29 August
2005
.
.
Temporary Executive
Assistant To National Rural
Fire Offi cer, Nhq Wellington

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