August/September 2005 – Issue No. 12
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
A
firefighter’s
story
August/September 2005
Issue No. 12
6 8
Fire & Rescue is the flagship
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 firefighter talks
about what it was like to be deployed
to the New Orleans disaster.
New initiatives
The future for command .................................................................................3
SMS help at hand ...............................................................................................3
Incident
A firefighter in New Orleans –
“I’m not sure I would have believed...” .....................................................4
New Orleans firefighters not alone ..........................................................6
Events
Mystery Creek crash rescue bonanza .....................................................8
Fire’s Fab Four on Abbey Road ....................................................................8
Fire safety
Station officer sold on sprinklers for his home....................................9
National safety awards honour Taranaki town’s safety push .....9
Open home
Open home a house on fire.......................................................................10
Award
It’s official – we are clean and green!...................................................12
Signed off
Response protocols formalised .................................................................13
Values – what we stand for .......................................................................13
Profiles
Esitone Pauga – Pacific 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 flue an eye opener........................................................................23
Shift calendars ....................................................................................................23
Photo: Getty Images
Story Pages: 4–7
Contact us by email at:
grant.susan@fire.org.nz
Tel: 04-496-3716
Or write to:
Editor,
Fire & Rescue Magazine,
NZ Fire Service,
P O Box 2133,
Wellington
10
New Fire Station A proud day for Remers ...............................................................................24
Gazette
Notices....................................................................................................................28
Appointments ............................................................................................29–30
Fire & Rescue is online at
www.fire.org.nz
ISSN: 1176-6670
All material in Fire & Rescue magazine is
copyrighted and may not be reproduced
without the permission of the editor.
15
17 19
New initiatives
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 specifications from
the project.
The hazmat equipment looked at as
part of the project includes showers
that meet environmental requirements
for water collection
and more effective
decontamination and
new level three and
four suits.
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
e to the
d
a
t
re m it a
es a and un
h
c
tou mm
.
hing at/co kland
Finis hazm in Auc
new kshop
wor
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.
Photos Terr
y Hewitt
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 fire safety manual, operational
instructions and SMS.
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 New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
3
Incident
s…
n
a
e
l
r
O
w
e
N
n
i
A firefighter
d
l
u
o
w
I
e
r
u
s
t
o
n
m
’
I
“
”
…
d
e
v
e
i
l
e
have b
: Getty Images
Photos
firefighter with
Gar y Allender is a
Depar tment, just
the Shoreline Fire
Gar y and fellow
north of Seattle.
s were deployed
ne
ar
B
d
E
r
te
gh
fi
fire
They sent regular
to New Orleans.
experience to a
emails about the
in New Zealand.
firefighter friend
unt:
This is their acco
Email 1:
and myself that
Well, it is Ed Barnes
New Orleans
have been deployed to
ys of work. We
area for at least 30 da
expect to be on
are to pack light and
ance for days at
foot and without assist
the area to be
a time. We are expecting
er…
chaotic and without ord
Email 2:
Today was filled
with training; a fu
ll eighthour schedule of
speakers on a ra
nge of
topics.
We have been in
structed to grou
p up into
groups of eight, so
we have hooked
up with
other two-man
teams from Was
hi
ngton.
Tomorrow we m
eet at the FEMA
st
at
io
n for
deployment orde
rs.
At this time the
worst damaged
areas are
still not safe to de
deployed into. Th
ere has
be en so m e ne w
s co ve ra ge ab
ou t th e
firefighters and FE
MA. Apparently
some of
the firefighters th
at came down he
re were
un ha pp y w ith
th ei r as si gn m en
t.
Th ey
apparently talked
to the press and
made
some outlandish
statements.
Overall everyone
that we have co
me into
contact with is in
good spirits and
excited
about doing wha
tever we may be
called
upon to do.
4
Issue No. 12
Incident
Email 3:
dy to be
We are still in Atlanta rea
e a good
deployed. They really hav
been many
system here, there have
e and the
teams processed through her
all. We
at
d
ba
t
wait times are no
ow and
orr
tom
nt
anticipate deployme
.
still don’t know where
s here with
There are mixed emotion
rything is
the troops. Some think eve
e tried to
hav
I
w.
moving way too slo
think
and
e
ctiv
put things into perspe
sed
ces
pro
that they have set up and
a
ant
Atl
gh
thousands of people throu
in a short amount of time.
ng oth er
We ha ve be en me eti
nation.
the
r
firefighters from all ove
that
ow
kn
It is sure impressive to
nds
usa
tho
within hours of this disaster
d
ate
ign
des
of fire me n arr ive at a
ks
bac
ir
location with packs on the
an aw e
e
sur
is
It
rk.
rea dy to wo
inspiring sight.
Email 4:
The stories…what do you
say...the
stories...complete losses
. They are
numerous and tragic. There
are some
goo
d stories mixed in. Today our
Ed and I stopped at a shelter
team
that has assisted a guy wit
h the internet to look
about 2000 people in it. Th
e location at the dev ast
ate d are a thr ou gh a
is an old department store
in a mostly website tha
t had the satellite view.
ab an do ned ma ll. Th e dep
art me nt He realised his
house was outside the
store obviously has no
showers… flooded area.
a phone call somehow got
placed to
the local fire department aro
und 3am One of the shelters we visited had 375
the day people were bussed
in. Within plus people and they have exhausted
two hours the firefighters had
contacted the supplies of donated clothing and
the manager of the local Ho
me Depot apparel. The last shelter with 50
and had a delivery of sup
plies with people has a room with tables stacked
which they built showers.
high with clothes and no-one
needs it.
Inside phone banks have
We
jus
t keep solving issues like thi
sprung up
s.
an d co mp ute r co nn ect
ion s ha ve Our team like ma
ny others really hope
bec om e ava ila ble wi th
Re d Cr oss to get into devast
ated areas to do a bit
and FEMA members ma
nning the more of the handson work that we
stations. They are getting
people aid, really specialise in.
We have another
locating other family memb
ers. It is am conference with the
regional heads
inspiring.
of FEMA – anything can hap
pen.
We started our day in San
Antonio
checking shelters.
Email 5:
g mo re
We are in Or lan do get tin
They
ns.
sio
mis
r
the
training for fur
top
lap
h
wit
ws
cre
e
have supplied som
w
Ne
the
for
S
com pu ter s and GP
Orleans area.
los s are
Th e sto rie s of com ple te
ries of
sto
amazing There are also
es in
hol
heroic rescues, guys cutting
ide
ins
ing
roofs to get to people float
ng.
buildings. It is all just amazi
e been
Working with people that hav
s trying
displaced is eye opening. I wa
the
on
in
ned
sig
to get peo ple
on
ck
che
can
y
the
computer so that
ims
the status of their cla
:
The conversations go like this
ress?”
“Do you have an email add
(blank stare)
t we can
“Do you have a bank accoun
ount”)
acc
k
ban
a
had
list?” (“Never
sword?”
“Do you have a favourite pas
(“What for?”)
ber that
“Do you have a PIN num
ber?”)
you use (“What is a PIN num
not trying
Don’t take me wrong. I am
I would
to be mean. I am not sure
I was not
have believed the stories if
it.
here to witness
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
5
Incident
New Orleans
firefighters not alone
Reports courtesy Associated Press, Firehouse.com, Herald Standard.com
Firefighters 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 firefighters, EMTs and
rescue workers who sacrificed 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 flood water can be
used to fight fires but only as a last
resort. The contaminates and debris
damage the pumping systems, fire
officials say.
The lack of water forced the
department to consolidate all its
operations in Algiers, the only section
Incident
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 fire trucks
to make time-consuming trips to fill
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.firehouse.com
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
7
Events
Watch and learn...
Mystery Creek crash rescue bonanza
World experts in heavy vehicle rescue
will share their skills in New Zealand
in October.
teams from Australia, United
Kingdom, South Africa and Spain, as
well as Kiwis.
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.
To make the competition possible
150 Holden vehicles have been
donated. With a retail value of more
than $6.7 million the Monaros,
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.
s Palmer
Photo Rhy
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
Photo courtesy Kapi Mana News
Fire’s Fab Four on Abbey Road
8
Organisers
of
crash rescue the Mystery Creek
b
pose with so onanza in October
me of the b
new vehicle
ra
s to be turn nd
ed into
scrap metal
. From left:
Chris
Walbran, C
liv
Lawrie, Ton e Whittfield, Colin
y
Guard, Alan Laker, chair Peter
W
Todd O’Do alker, Roy Breeze,
noghue, Joh
n
Ken Broken
shire, Merv Thorn,
George.
Something in the way they walk…
An Abbey Road retrospective,
featuring the Plimmerton Volunteer
Fire Brigade, heralded the annual and
traditional firefighters’ ball.
honour the true spirit of the Beatles’
classic album cover, and someone
brought a guitar and someone else
wore cool shades.
One man even took his boots off to
The image, taken by the Kapi Mana
Issue No. 12
News, featured on the front page to
promote the brigade’s 1960s theme
fund raiser in October.
The Fab Four are Ed Hin
tz, Tim Manawaiti,
Carl Mills and Joe Higgin
s. On the truck are
Russell Postlewaight, Go
rdon Tovey
(obscured) and John For
ster.
Fire safety
Photos Kerry Marshall
Station officer sold on
sprinklers for his home
Installing a domestic sprinkler
system in his home is a no-brainer
as far as Hastings station officer
Rob Karaitiana is concerned.
“You can replace any material items
after a fire…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 fire, halve the amount
of toxic smoke, warn of the fire 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-fitted 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 fire sprinkler
system…they didn’t seem to understand
the benefits of one, therefore it was
National safety awards honour
Taranaki town’s safety push
obvious to me that they wouldn’t be
encouraging installation to their clients
nationwide.
“Come on insurers – get on board”.
Photo Lance
Lawson
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 fire 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 financial
grant from the Taranaki Electricity Trust.
The project finished in August and the ambassadors visited 2500
households in six months.
Western assistant fire region commander Mitchell Brown says the award,
presented at a ceremony in Wellington, was the icing on the cake of a
successful fire and home safety partnered community initiative.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
n
jury Preventio
Safety and In
ity
ra
un
ta
m
ai
W
om
C
ft:
At the
from le
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lington, were,
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Awards, Wel
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ig
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re
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s, Associate M
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Lynn Fitzsimon nor, Waitara senior statio on and
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on
Damien O’C
utive Garry W ect
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CC chief exec
Greg Cox, A r/Waitara Home Safety pr
ce
fi
of
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fire sa
t Crabtree.
manager Mat
August/September 2005
9
Open home
Open
home
a house
on fire
Dunedin’s first open
home went off like a
house on fire.
Photos: Hannah Johnston, Otago Daily Times, Station Officer Jason Hill
10
Issue No. 12
Open home
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 fire 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 fire
safety messages were there.
Jason says the city’s first 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 fire safety officer 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.
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 fixtures.
Once people had been shown through
the house firefighters were on hand to
talk and leave the visitors with written
material to take away.
Firefighter Simon Smith,
green watch city,
shows visitors the room
of origin.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
11
Award
It’s official –
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 ThorntonGrimes.
Photo courtesy FOTOPRESS
Firefighters are often the first 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.
McGill
mander Paul
Region Com ton-Grimes
re
Fi
d
an
kl
Former Auc
Dick Thorn
nal
zmat expert
uckland Regio
(right) and ha ronment award from A
vi
accept the en chair Christine Rose.
ty
pu
de
l
ci
Coun
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
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 notification 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
significant, because it shows just how
far the relationship between the two
has come since the bad old days.
Auckland.
nker crash in ed and
ta
l
o
tr
pe
a
f
spill
ene o
d 5,000 litres
yed at the sc
Foam is spra ied 35,000 litres of fuel an potential to cause huge
rr
e
The tanker ca dents such as this have th ghters have been
ci
In
.
d firefi
re
an
kl
uc
A
caught fi
city.
d
l damage, an
llution in the
environmenta eir care in minimising po
r th
honoured fo
Signed off
son
w
ance La
Photo L
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 definitions 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.
Fenwick, chief executive Jaimes
From left: St John chancellor Rob
chairperson Dame Margaret
Wood, Fire Service Commission
commander Mike Hall sign the
nal
Bazley and chief executive/natio
between the two organisations.
memorandum of understanding
“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 Fire Service, NZPFU and UFBA have recently agreed
to a set of five 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
• Adaptability
• Comradeship
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 offices and fire stations. The values
will also be introduced into our induction, training and
evaluation systems.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
13
Profiles
Esitone Pauga –
Pacific Island
role model
Auckland station officer Esitone Pauga
hopes he is viewed as a role model for
Pacific Island firefighters.
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 Certificate in
Architectural Drafting followed by a
Bachelor of Construction Degree.
The work of Auckland’s fire engineers
came to his attention and he made
himself known to them and asked to
become involved. Not long after that
the new Building Act 2004 meant a
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.
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
joined the Fire Service there was a
handful of Pacific Island firefighters,
now there are about 35.
He was an inaugural member of the
equal employment opportunities
group, has spearheaded the launch of
an Auckland Pacific Island firefighters
group and was a member of the
national recruitment team, and
Auckland region recruitment.
The Pacific Islands Firefighters 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 Pacific Islanders
to consider the Fire Service as a career
option.
Queen’s Birthday Honours recipients
Photo Lance
Lawson
Five Fire Service men were recently invested
with their Queen’s Birthday 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 fire 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.
14
Issue No. 12
Profiles
Fighting fires 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.
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.
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.
“For them to see her doing what she does, in a
predominantly male job, shows them what they can
achieve if they want to.
Tai-anne has also represented New Zealand
at sevens rugby.
‘Also, sports-wise, a lot of the girls look up to her for
what she has done.”
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
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.
Photo and story courtesy The Southland Times
refighter
player and fi worker
h
uc
to
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Muunu with
Tai-anne Te n and Brooke Dawson,
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so
Sam Thomp ts as a mentor for man
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.
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The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
15
Profiles
SSO Houlihan: proud to
protect his city
Porirua fire station was left a bit quiet when Martin Houlihan finished his last day on the job to
retire after 43 or so years fighting fires, almost all of them in Porirua.
Story/photo courtesy Kapi Mana News
Well, actually, the place was deathly
quiet without the wise-cracking,
story-telling, laughing senior station
officer.
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 fight a fire and needed
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 firefighting.
But in the early days you couldn’t
keep him away from a fire, even off
duty.
Once, at a huge fire 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 firefighters.
“We used to be like a family,” he said.
“That cost some lives.”
Firefighters 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
fires others flee. 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.”
16
Issue No. 12
Incidents
Chemical spill
at northern
school
Tender touch
An elderly woman is helped from her car after
she ran over a power box and through a fence.
Photo No
rt
h Advocate
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
filled with fumes.
t
s
i
m
e
h
t
n
Crash i
d Times
arcourt/Southlan
Photo Barry H
Photo Jill McKee/Southland Times
Occupants
o
spoken to f a four-wheel drive
by Police af
are
te
and rolled
near Inverc r it lost control
argill.
Preparing for
the worst
Fire crews tackle a fire during a
training exercise at Marsden Point Oil
Refinery. (The New Zealand Herald
image was taken five years ago).
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 fire officer 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 fire officer
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.
Photo: New Zealand Herald/Richard Robinson
18
Issue No. 12
Sports
National rugby
Photos Kerry Marshalla
The nation
al team lin
es up for a
photo.
Brotherhood kicked
into touch
Firefighters are not brothers on the rugby field.
Once again teams clashed in the national rugby
tournament, this year hosted by Hawke’s Bay.
The host team happened to win the final with a
convincing 38-12 against Southland.
Organiser Bruce Botherway, a
Hastings brown watch senior
firefighter, says that as usual it was
a hard fought tournament.
Indeed, a spectator in the medical centre
pointed out that she used to think all
firefighters were brothers.
“Not on the rugby field,” 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
19
Sports
New Zealand team
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
John Duffy
Dylan Higginson
Waka Petera
Steve Campbell
Matt Whyte
Simon McFarlane
James Young
Glen Varcoe
Trent Frew
Randell Stewart
Mike Peachey
Craig Campbell
Dylan Roberts
Hayden Penny
Mike Penny
Southland
Wellington
Hawke’s Bay
Auckland
Southland
Hawke’s Bay
Auckland
Hawke’s Bay
Southland
Auckland
Hawke’s Bay
Auckland
Southland
Hawke’s Bay
Hawke’s Bay
Back reserves
Richard Larkin
Kylie Kanohi
Rubin Smith
Judd Thompson
Wellington
Bay/Waikato
Hawke’s Bay
Hawke’s Bay
Forward Reserves
Clint McIvor
Merrick Brown
Jay Culhane
Jamie Nichol
Otago
Hawke’s Bay
Bay/Waikato
Hawke’s Bay
Coach Ian Butler, Wellington
Manager Graeme (Daisy) Day,
Hawke’s Bay
Player of the Tournament
Dylan Higginson
Wellington
Invercargill chief fire offi
cer Maurice Robertson
proud of his four firefi
is pretty
ghters that made the
NZ Fire rugby
team after the Southlan
d team finished 2nd at
tournament at Napie
the national
r. From left are, John
Duffey, Trent
Frew, Daniel Roberts
(Tiwai) and Matt Whyt
e.
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@fire.org.nz
SPORTS
COUNCIL
Event
Calendar
2005
20
Issue No. 12
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: [email protected]
Indoor Rowing Competition/Dunedin
Starts 30th Sep – contact: logan.akers@fire.org.nz
Sports
Donned and started Kiwi
dusts off the competition
After dusting off the competition climbing
New Zealand’s tallest building, North Shore
firefighter Steve Callagher has gone on to win
the Rialto Tower run in Melbourne.
The East Coast Bays firefighter won the Climb for Charity
held at the Auckland Sky Tower in June.
And it was prefect training for the Rialtos 55 flights 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 firefighter tower climb
championship held in Seattle during March.
That event makes its way up a tower with 69 floors.
Photo: North Shore
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.
National Golf Tour/Napier
11th-14th Oct – contact: tony.versteeg@fire.org.nz
Times
This time round Steve says he had a better idea of where
he was and didn’t have to run himself into the ground.
Wellington West Coast Golf Tour/Foxton
6th Nov – contact: robert.christie@fire.org.nz
Australasian Golf Tour/Brisbane
30th Oct – contact: ray.shields@fire.org.nz
North Canterbury F/BAs Golf Tournament/Oxford
16th Oct – contact: oxford@fire.org.nz
Taranaki Provincial Golf Tour/Inglewood
6th Nov – contact: stratford@fire.org.nz
To list your sporting event on this space please send details to: warren.dunn@fire.org.nz
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
21
Sports
Round-up
Sportsperson
of the Year
Softball tournament –
combined services
Who will be our next
top sportsperson?
The next combined services annual
softball tournament is to be held in
February 2006. If you are interested
contact Glenn Hogan email:
hogan.glenn@fire.org.nz or:
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@fire.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
Fax: 03-473-6032
Email:
akers.logan@fire.org.nz
22
Issue No. 12
Glenn Hogan
NZFS Softball Council
Newtown Fire Station
318 Mansfield St
Newtown
Wellington 6003
The Fire Service softball council
was invited to participate in this
event for the first time this year.
Glenn is seeking to organise
men’s and women’s teams.
Snapshots
Blocked
flue an eye
opener
With flues in this condition,
completely blocked with ash, no
wonder chimney fires are a
perennial winter problem.
Invercargill brigade’s winter fire
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
Photo Bar
ry Harcou
rt
For the first 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.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
23
Obituary
New
Fire Station
A proud day for
Remers
Remuera’s new fire station was officially 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
officer Russell Wood said crews had
played a significant 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.
Long service and good conduct
medals were presented to Otahuhu station
officer Bob Morrison (14 year) and Remuera station
officer Marcel Sanders (21 year clasp).
Remuera old boys from around the country also
took the opportunity to share in the occasion.
Photos
reml
Dean T
24
Issue No. 12
pu Tinei Ahi
r of Te Roo
ee
B
y
ar
G
ters from
:
ft
From le
up of firefigh u Reirino,
ro
(g
u
ra
au
Tamaki Mak representative Ngamar and
kl
i
Auckland), iw r Russell Wood and Auc
ce
.
ffi
o
ek
ur
re
fi
T
f
e
ie
ev
ch
St
commander
Fire Region
Fleet
New Fire Station
Commission
Fire Service ame Margaret
D
Affairs
chairperson
es as Internal pens
ch
at
w
y
le
az
o
B
ns
ki
aw
H
rge
Minister Geo re Station.
Fi
ra
ue
em
R
e
th
Hall
nal commander Mike
Chief executive/natio y Willy Clark.
bo
talks to Remuera old
Auckland
F
command ire Region
e
(right) an r Steve Turek
d
kaumatua Fire Service
Dr Hare
Puke.
Internal Affairs Minister George Hawkins
(left) presented long service and good
el
conduct medals to station officers Marc
Sanders and Bob Morrison.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
August/September 2005
25
26
By order of the Fire Service Commission
Notices
Appointments
page 28
pages 29–30
Notices for the Fire Service Gazette should
be emailed to: nzfs.gazette@fire.org.nz
Fire Service Gazette
August/September 2005
27
Notices
Notices
Notice No: 48/2005
William Hanna Estate Gift Local fire 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 fire 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 Office.
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.
28
Appointments
Appointments
Vacancy
Position Filled
.
Person
Appointed
Proposed
Start Date
Previous Position Held
Chief Fire Officer, Pleasant Point Brian
Volunteer Fire District
Schimanski
5 September
2005
Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Pleasant Point Volunteer
Fire Brigade
.
Officer, Temuka Volunteer Fire
District
Richard Webb
5 September
2005
Station Officer, Temuka
Volunteer Fire Brigade
.
Chief Fire Officer, Waihi Beach
Volunteer Fire District
Ian Smith
.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Waihi Beach Volunteer
Fire Brigade
.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Te
Glen Whitaker
Kauwhata Volunteer Fire District
.
Station Officer, Te Kauwhata
Volunteer Fire District
.
Senior Station Officer, Tuakau
Volunteer Fire District
Peter Green
15 August
2005
Station Officer, Tuakau
Volunteer Fire Brigade
.
Station Officer, Taukau
Volunteer Fire District
Richard
Cruickshank
15 August
2005
Senior Firefighter, Taukau
Volunteer Fire Brigade
101/2005 Firefighter, Arapawa Fire Region Angelene Saba
2 September
2005
Firefighter, Hutt Fire District
103/2005 Senior Analyst, National
- 3058
Headquarters, Wellington
Dirk Catsburg
10 October
2005
SMS Project Team
104/2005 Communicator (Part-time),
- 3031A Northern Communications
Centre
Carena Henry
5 September
2005
.
74/2005
Fire Safety Officer, Western Fire Darrin
Region
Alexander
17 October
2005
.
85/2005
- 3010
Communications Centre
Manager, Central
Communications Centre,
Wellington
Ian Scott
8 August
2005
Operations Manager, Central
Communications Centre,
Wellington
90/2005
- 3142
Communicator, Northern
Communications Centre
Dallas Ramsay
31 August
2005
Communicator, Part-time
90/2005
- 3146
Communicator, Northern
Communications Centre
John Millar
5 September
2005
.
Fire Service Gazette
August/September 2005
29
Appointments
30
Vacancy
Position Filled
Person
Appointed
Proposed
Start Date
Previous Position Held
.
Chief Fire Officer,
Bay/Waikato Fire Region
Murray
Paterson
.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Benneydale Volunteer Fire
Brigade, Benneydale Fire
District
.
Chief Fire Officer,
Bay/Waikato Fire Region
Shane Beech
.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Maketu Volunteer Fire
Brigade, Maketu Fire District
.
Chief Fire Officer,
Northland Fire Region
Lindsay Murray
.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Kaeo Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Kaeo Fire District
.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Transalpine Fire Region
Ray Gardner
.
Senior Station Officer, Fairlie
Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Fairlie Fire District
.
Senior Station Officer,
Western Fire Region
Tony Foley
.
Station Officer, Stratford
Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Stratford Fire District
.
Station Officer,
Western Fire Region
Danny
McSweeney
.
Senior Firefighter, Stratford
Volunteer Fire Brigade,
Stratford Fire District
83/2005
- 3212
Finance Officer,
National Headquarters
Kylie Davies
5 September
2005
.
84/2005
- 3213
Finance Officer,
National Headquarters
Adrienne
Samuela
12 September .
2005
2005
Station Officer,
Bay/Waikato Fire Region
Geoffrey Carter .
Station Officer, Kawerau
Fire District
91/2005
- 5001
Executive Assistant To National
Rural Fire Officer,
National Headquarters
Vanessa Lang
Temporary Executive
Assistant To National Rural
Fire Officer, Nhq Wellington
29 August
2005
31
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
www.fire.org.nz