Daylight saving has ended and it’s time to get into autumn fire safety mode.  Dust and spider webs can affect smoke alarms. When switching from daylight saving did you check your smoke alarms or install new ones?  Batteries should be changed at least once a year. Why would you risk your family’s lives for the sake of a $4 battery? Between 2001 and 2005 193 people died in fires in New Zealand, 90% of them in house fires.  The average house fire causes $42,000 worth of damage and leaves the home unfit for occupation for many months.  Protect what you value.

In the New Zealand post-war era, 2009 was the first year fire calls had actually decreased.  Up to last year, calls had grown with the population from 40,000 to 75,000.  To a certain extent last year 3% drop was due to old buildings being replaced, new building design, and successful fire prevention and education programmes.  At the same time different response patterns are emerging with 25,000 calls not being fire related.  Today 80% of calls do not involve fire which shows how the role of the New Zealand Fire Service is shifting steadily towards a fire-rescue service, a system I know well as this is how we operate in France.  We run a FRAS model:

Fire, both structure and vegetation fires

Rescue of people, animals and property

Ambulance at first aid and paramedic levels

Specialist rescue, fall arrest in high risk environment, urban search and rescue, nuclear chemical and biological containment

Moving from a totally fire dedicated service towards a fire-rescue service is a trend other countries in the world have adopted as it provides a more efficient comprehensive service that reflects the way today’s societies work.  It is an important distinction that an organisation has to plan, resource and train for.

In brigade news this month . . .  

We held the 5^th annual Greenhithe Fire Brigade vs the Greenhithe Diary cricket match this month.  It was a great game but the result was the same as it has been for the last five years…the dairy won! It must be our turn to win sometime soon…

This year the Fire Brigade organised a small ANZAC Day Service at the War Memorial Gates on Roland Road and this saw a number of people attending.  Thank you to everyone who got involved setting up the ceremony and to all those that made the effort to come down and honour our ANZAC forefathers.  We will look to do a similar thing again next year.

Some Brigade members are training hard for the Sky Tower Vertical Challenge on Saturday 22^nd May.  This year, with your support we hope to reach the target of contributing $2,000 to the Blood and Leukaemia Foundation.  You can donate directly online at http://www.firefightersclimb.org.nz/view_group_event_profile/13 or drop a cheque to the dairy (PO Box 45) made out to the Blood and Leukaemia Foundation and we will pass it on.

Concluding word…the church is near, but the way is icy.  The tavern is far, but I will walk carefully. (Ukrainian proverb).

Firefighter Isabelle LARDEUX-GILLOUX