FIRE BOMB - New Zealand Fire Service

By Greg Koppert
About 350 people were able to
interact with Fire Service staff during
the open day in a friendly and relaxed
atmosphere. The focus of the day was
to educate people on fire prevention
with a particular emphasis on winter
safety issues. It also gave staff an
opportunity to show people around
the station and explain the wider
role the Fire Service plays in their
community.
A key feature of the open day was
free electric blanket and heater
testing, which was conducted by
local service agent PD Patton, with
surprising results. Firstly the sheer
number of blankets and heaters
brought in for testing, which indicated
the public’s awareness of the risk,
and secondly the number of those
blankets and heaters that failed.
Some of the failed blankets posed a
high fire risk.
An open day promotional voucher
was provided by Mitre 10 for a
substantial discount on a replacement
electric blanket or heater.
Education of the care, maintenance
and correct use of solid fuel heating
appliances was carried out by
Rayners, a local heating specialist.
This raised a few eyebrows for some
because many practices typical in
their home are unsafe and inefficient.
State Insurance also gave away smoke
alarms, illustrated the value of house
and contents insurance, and described
the obvious costs of what can often
be avoidable fires.
Further interest was generated by
joint operations between Fire and
Ambulance which enthralled the
large crowd with two extrication
displays. The crowd was then given a
practical demonstration on cooking
fires, how to avoid them and safe
methods to extinguish them.
In the Community
Fire and Ambulance staff
demonstrate a vehicle extrication
in front of an attentive crowd.
Thanks must go to SO Aaron Ramsey
and Brown Watch for helping to
make the day a success and to the
Invercargill District Promotions Group
for all its hard work and planning.
The ‘open home’ attracted up to 200
people, who saw first-hand what
could happen to a house that had no
smoke alarms. Seven occupants –
three adults and four children –
narrowly escaped the early-morning
fire and three were treated for
respiratory injuries. The house was
extensively damaged.
One of the occupants said she woke
to a taste of smoke in her mouth which
was the only factor to raise the alarm.
The Invercargill District Promotions
Committee intends to survey the
people who attended the open home
to measure what fire safety benefits
came out it, what fire safety behaviour
may have changed or been reinforced
for them.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August 2009
11