On the ball: - New Zealand Fire Service

On the ball:
The 2005 Sportsperson
of the Year
June /July 2006 – Issue No. 20
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine

June /July 2006
Issue No. 20
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.
Editor: Iain Butler
Front cover: Black Fern Rochelle Martin
after receiving her Sportsperson of the Year
Award, Wellington College, May 2006.
Story on page 22.
Picture: Lance Lawson
Back cover: The father of 15 month old
Falcon Whaiapu is inconsolable after
losing him in a house fire.
Story on page 10.
Picture: Iain McGregor,
Waikato Times
We welcome contributions from
Fire Service personnel and their
families.
Email stories and digital pictures to:
fire.rescue@fire.org.nz
(Pictures need to be at least 1MB)
Post written material and celluloid
photos, or photo CDs to:
Fire & Rescue magazine,
PO Box 2133, Wellington.
(These will be returned on request)
If you just have an idea or have an
upcoming event you would like
Fire & Rescue to cover, call
Iain Butler on (04) 496 3675.
Fire & Rescue is on-line 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.
4
10
Profile What’s the plan, John? ......................................................................3
Feature How young is too young? ................................................................4
Profile Band of Brothers (and one Sister) .............................................6
Fire safety A sizzling start to Tauranga Fire Safety Week .....................7
Ceiling whacks .......................................................................................7
The true cost of home sprinklers ................................................8
Pet hate to continue... for now ......................................................9
Incidents Black Days ............................................................................................10
Need a lift? ...........................................................................................12
Miracles do happen ........................................................................12
All white on the night .....................................................................13
Black spot strikes ..............................................................................13
World of United Kingdom: Fitting in ...........................................................14
Fire & Rescue Algeria: Coping in the chaos .......................................................14
East Timor: The ultimate volunteer .........................................15
Events Firewood and poker: how to raise $17K .............................16
Here comes the son .......................................................................17
Ladder Be ..............................................................................................17
Trust me, I’m a firefighter .............................................................18
Recruitment The recruit’s recruit ..........................................................................19
Fun & Games Wheel meet again ...........................................................................20
Too cool for school ............................................................................20
Under the mountain .......................................................................21
Here to play ........................................................................................22
Volley gosh! ...........................................................................................23
Obituaries Paul Hunter, Eni Toafa, Don Cowper, Jim Morrison ........24
Gazette Notices ............................................................................................26-27
Appointments .............................................................................28-29
Survey Fire & Rescue feedback form ....................................................31
14 17
22
13

What’s
the plan,
John?
May 4 was a defining date for Civil
Defence (CD).
An earthquake near Tonga that
morning triggered the most sensitive
alert system in the world – the
international media – with the news
that a tsunami could be heading right
for New Zealand.
For many people, the image of
Gisborne locals jamming the roads in
a desperate bid to get to high ground
and away from the “tsunami” was a
symbol of CD’s failings.
For outgoing CD director John
Norton it was quite the opposite.
“The media were asking me about it
and I was saying, wasn’t it great that
all these people got organised and got
themselves out.”
Because that is the over-riding
philosophy the organisation has been
working on for the eight years John
has been in charge: in a disaster, you
are responsible for getting through
the first few days.
A recently-launched ad campaign
presses home the point that
communities – and that includes the
local emergency services – need to
know what to do without centralised
assistance for the first three days.
“It’s important to have an emergency
kit, but it’s more important that they
have a plan that they have talked
about, so they will know what to do.
“People have this impression that [in
an emergency] CD will come striding
over the hill with blue and yellow shirts
on. But the reality is … there will be a
physical presence of half-a-dozen
people in each region. Most local authorities
only have three CD people.”
The system John has set up relies on
information flowing up, from local
CD coordinators and community
groups to regional and national CD
staff, in order that the appropriate
support can flow down.
For firefighters in remote areas this
means that they will be supported to
Profile
Civil Defence’s outgoing director talks frankly about what’s going right and wrong with
emergency planning in New Zealand.
put in place plans of action for
emergencies, but on the big day they
need to be able to work independently
of CD to get help to those in need.
If that sounds like a fraught way of
running emergency management,
John says it compares favourably
with how the response to Hurricane
Katrina was organised.
“There, everything was run by a
centralised system, but there was no
contact with people [in New Orleans].
They had a massive response – but
not until day six or seven.
“We’re trying to move away from the
military approach of telling everyone
what to do, because you don’t know
what’s actually needed.”
It will take three years for the system
put in place to be fully effective, John
says, but once it’s up and running it
will be structured enough to overcome
the panic after a disaster, but nimble
enough to respond to the unexpected.
In the meantime, get planning.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006 3
Picture: Lance Lawson

Picture: Lance Lawson
Feature
As volunteer fire brigades increasingly struggle to cover day-time call-outs they are turning
to a source of ready and willing help – the local high school.
How young is too young?
Firefighting is in Craig Nicholson’s
blood. The 16-year-old Wainuiomata
High School pupil didn’t do anything
extraordinary by joining the local
volunteer fire brigade recently – his
brother and uncle had done the same
at about the same age.
He has the same philosophy as his
chief when it comes to his decision to
join: why not?
Wainuiomata CFO Eric Speck is
happy to have Craig on board as
he is one of the few volunteers in
the valley – within an easy commute
of Wellington and the Hutt Valley –
4 Issue No. 20
who are around during the day.
And Craig’s not the only youngster
Eric has taken on, three of the brigade
are under 18.
Emma Pickard (18) started
volunteering in the Fire Service when
she was 17 and doing her Duke of
Edinburgh medal.
For a year she was part of
Wainuiomata’s Fire Police while a
pupil at the local high school, before
joining up as a firefighter.
But despite staying on, she has a
surprising position on the place
under-18s play in a fire brigade.
Wainuiomata’s young
guns, left to right:
Nathaniel Ormsby (17),
Emma Pickard (18) and
Craig Nicholson (16).
“I don’t think under-18s should be in
the Fire Service. They don’t have the
maturity.”
Eric says the three youngest
firefighters also kept off the truly
grim work, such as car accidents and
he chooses crews carefully.
“We’ve got a very experienced
brigade so there’s normally guys
[working with the under-18s] who’ve
been there many, many years.”
But the examples Emma cites as
testing her maturity show there is

sometimes nowhere to hide in a
volunteer brigade.
“Attending a heart attack where it’s a
really old person – even in the fire
police you’d get abused and get cars
coming towards you really fast.”
Emma isn’t the only one with doubts
about putting young people in the
firing line when it comes to volunteer
firefighting.
While a look at the number of 50year
Gold Star recipients shows
plenty who started volunteering at
age 14 or 15, attitudes to people at
their most impressionable stage have
changed.
Recently, that attitude shift resulted
in a set of guidelines for working with
young volunteers, formalising their
mentoring and training already
taking place.
In some stations, that has been
happening already because of the
management style of the local chief.
Levin CFO Linsday Walker is another
volunteer chief who has had to
increasingly rely on under-18 recruits
to keep numbers up.
When he took on 16-year-old Jessica
Hicks he initially put her on fire
police duty assess her ability to cope,
before moving her – at her behest – to
a full operational role.
And while Jessica (now 18) is “one of
the boys”, she still has a mentor in
the brigade.
“I buddied her up to make sure she
was supported.”
Most of Lindsay’s young recruits ride
in the number three seat, running
equipment, before being gradually
introduced to the hardest parts of
firefighting, like dealing with a fatal
accident.
National medical officer Rosy
Fenwicke says the guidelines are
about keeping young people in
brigades for longer, not making it
harder to get in in the first place.
“The main thing for working with
young people is that you’ve got to
realise that young people are different.
They have different life experience
and outlook…we want to make sure
they stay in the brigade rather than
be traumatised out at an early age.”
The key risks to a young volunteer
come from trauma at a motor vehicle
accident or fatal fire, particularly
when in small rural communities the
chances of it involving someone they
know are high.
Rosy says medical research shows
that people under the age of 25 are at
greater risk of physical and emotional
damage in the workplace and, while
Feature
not technically a workplace, a
volunteer fire station can be a tough
place to get to grips with.
“We’re not talking about baby stuff
here, we’re talking about things that
[adult] firefighters find traumatic.”
Firefighting certainly seems to have had
an effect on the Wainuiomata trio.
Emma: “I think I’ve grown up a hell
of a lot faster.”
Craig: “I’ve matured a lot since I’ve
been here.”
The question is, for better or worse?
The full guidelines are on page 27.
Jessica Hicks (18).
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
Picture: Mike Heydon
5

Profile
Band of
Brothers
(and one
Sister)
By Maria Cowin
On the streets of Dargaville, people will tell
you the Murdoch boys are legends in the
Kaipara, but they don’t think so.
Collectively Gary Murdoch and his
three brothers have given more than
150 years of service to the Dargaville
Volunteer Fire Brigade, but only Gary
is still on the job.
Inexplicably but affectionately known
as “Maggot”, Gary is now brigade
secretary. He’s been in the ranks for
42 years - it would have been 50 but
for a break a few years ago – and he’s
seen many changes in the volunteer
service since first joining as an 18year-old.
Younger brother Ross holds the
record in Dargaville for longest
The earliest crew, known then as
the Dargaville Borough Fire Brigade.
6 Issue No. 20
serving member, having notched up
47 years of continuous service.
Most of the brigade have been there
for yonks though – SSO Jim Vallance
joined 37 years ago, CFO Mitch King
almost 27 years ago, and SO Brian
Clune 25 years ago. In fact, they
were crewing the fire appliances of
Station 62 (Dargaville) long before
its youngest member – 17-year-old
Jarryd Booth – was even born.
Gary doesn’t think much of the
“legend” label, but even if he did the
rest of his brigade buddies would
take care of that.
Egos don’t flourish here; in fact
they’re pretty much hit with the
verbal equivalent of ‘Round-
Up’ at first sight.
Good-natured jibes, criticisms,
insinuations, and wisecracks
fly thick and fast – legends are
not revered here – but it’s all in
jest and the camaraderie that
exists among the group is the
glue that holds this brigade
together.
The Dargaville Volunteer Fire
Brigade was started in 1913.
One of its first appliances was
an ex-Air Force crash tender
Some of the current Dargaville Volunteer Fire Brigade,
from left, Chief Fire Officer Mitch King, Senior Station
Officer Jim Vallance, Station Officer Brian Clune, Station
Officer Michael Ross, Firefighter Joe Searle, Firefighter
Jarryd Booth, Firefighter Anthony Mager.
Ford 4 x 4, which was still being used
when Gary Murdoch joined in 1956.
Today’s vehicles and equipment are
far superior, but nothing is a gift. In
fact much of Dargaville’s “kit” was
bought with fundraising money.
Fundraising is essential to the
volunteer service, and the yields are
sure reminders of just how much this
group of 22 men and one woman is
appreciated by its town.
Around nine months ago a fundraising
initiative raised the $26,000
needed to buy a thermal imaging
camera, with locals and organisations
contributing a total of $30,000.
The thermal imaging camera is one
of only two owned by volunteer
brigades in Northland. It’s already
proved invaluable in search and
rescue, “seeing” what the naked eye
can’t.
Since it was purchased the camera
has been used on almost every
callout.
Having to fundraise for equipment is
tough, but the positives far outweigh
any negatives. The volunteers all
agree there is a genuine “buzz” being
on the frontline of helping their
community.

Picture: SFF Nick Pine
A sizzling start to Tauranga
Fire Safety Week Story and picture by Megan Dromgool
Tauranga’s hottest event is undoubtedly Fire Safety Week.
An event conducted in Tauranga Fire District for nearly a
decade, this year’s programme took a different format with
the main focus being on fire safety education in Tauranga’s
secondary schools.
The main attractions were the
Bay-Waikato Fire Region’s sparkling
new kitchen fire unit, a modified
version of the secondary school
programme “Party at Our Place”
and the region’s popular Speed of
Fire Show.
The momentum gathered in schools,
as school teachers were quick to pick
up on the “curriculum links” in home
economics, science and
health and safety. Many
have now booked the Fire
Service in for further sessions
over the coming year.
The week’s grand finale
included a “great escape” with
the local radio station
participating in a rescue from
the “burning” multi-storey
Ceiling whacks
Fire safety
What do you get when you mix a room full of women, power tools and a plaster-board ceiling?
It sounds like an un-PC joke, but the
answer is the Fire Service’s display at
the recent Women’s Expo in
Palmerston North.
Local senior firefighters Nick Pine
and Hayden Boag put together a
mock room with a removable ceiling
to let expo-goers have a crack at
installing smoke alarms.
“There was a lot of interest from the
public,” Nick says, estimating they
assisted someone to put in an alarm
every 15 minutes on average over
the weekend-long event.
The idea was to build
confidence so those
attending the expo felt
able to put in alarms in
their own homes.
“They were keen to
use the tools and
wreck our ceiling
and not theirs.
There was a lot of
good advice given
from brown watch
on the two days
Tauranga Boys’ College pupils catch the glare
from the sparkling new kitchen fire unit.
building in which they are housed and
an open day held at Mount Maunganui
Fire Station on the Sunday.
that the expo ran for, all in all it was
a good weekend.”
Nick was the brains behind the idea,
while Hayden provided the building
expertise for what is a versatile display.
“All the walls and the ceiling are
bolted together, the ceiling sheet of
gib can be changed and its back to
work.
“It can be set up in minutes, the
display can easily be sent off to another
station for a promotion. The next
place it’s going will be to the new
Bunning’s Warehouse in Palmerston
North. They are giving away smoke
alarms and will also be showing
people how to install them, (with a bit
of help from the on duty crew).
“After that I will change the backdrop
and install home sprinklers in the
ceiling for the Palmerston North
Home show.”
June/July 2006
7

Fire safety
The true cost of home
sprinklers National safety integration
manager Gary Talbot puts the cost of
sprinklers in perspective.
What is it the Winstone’s Wall Board
woman said on television?
“The cost of getting it is nothing
compared to the cost of not
getting it.”
Today this is true of most house fires,
even if the home is not in full postflashover
stage when the first fire
engine arrives. We all know as
firefighters that even that small
kitchen fire, or the bedroom fire that
takes two minutes of water from a
‘gun’ to put out will have done
hundreds if not thousands of dollars
of damage to the rest of the house.
Let’s face it, for the homeowner who
is insured the big ticket items in
the home are most likely going to
be replaced, but it will be the
little things, photographs, trinkets
from fun holidays had, and the
plastic figurines off your wedding
cake in the blackened china cabinet
that won’t ever be part of your
home again.
The material cost of fire sprinkler
systems is easy to measure and
compare against the cost of other
material items that will go in your
home. So what is the cost, you ask?
All the research in preparing for the
public launch of the home sprinkler
campaign has revealed the cost is
between $3000 to $4000 for a 3 – 4
bedroom home, if installed to
NZS4517:2002. Plumbers who are
currently installing these systems
suggest a realistic price is around
$350 – $400 per fully recessed
sprinkler head. There are a lot of
factors that determine if it is costeffective
to install home sprinklers,
8 Issue No. 20
It all boils down to a singed carpet vs this.
It’s not rocket science is it?
including availability of water
supplies, water pressure, distance
from the road, and of course the size
of your new home or extensions. The
design planning stage is when these
issues can be identified and resolved.
If you consider that someone who is
building could be spending on average
$400,000 to $600,000 on his or her
new home, then the cost of the home
sprinkler system is only about one
percent of the total cost, and that
includes some of the conventional
plumbing work you would have to
pay for anyway. At worst, you could
compare it to the money you spend
on car insurance. That $600 bill
(about two percent of the value of
your car) hurts every year until you
experience the screeching brakes,
smashing glass and crumpling steel
and plastic around you. The bill for
the three cars you just nose-to-tailed
doesn’t seem half as bad does it?
You’ll be more worried about the
‘careless use of a motor vehicle’
infringement the highway patrol
officer just handed you! Remember
too that the plumbing bill will be
offset, as the pipe work for your
sprinkler system is the same system
your bathrooms, laundry and kitchen
will use.
Home sprinklers will save your family
home from extensive damage in a fire
and increase the chance of saving
your family’s life.
If that’s not money well spent, I don’t
know what is!
Picture: Dean Treml

Picture: Emanuel Druckmann
Pet hate to continue…
There will be at least one more
Guy Fawkes with retail sales to
the public, but those in favour
of a ban are taking heart from
some small progress.
SPCA Auckland chief executive Bob Kerridge
has been a passionate opponent of public
sales of fireworks for some time because of
the effect they have on animals.
In 2004 he persuaded then Environment
minister Marian Hobbs to review fireworks
legislation “when a majority of public opinion
supported it”.
That time came last year, when polls – including
the Fire Service’s own public behaviour survey
– found more people wanted the law changed
than wanted it to stay the same.
Despite no longer being in Cabinet, Ms Hobbs
was true to her word and is working on a
private member’s bill requiring all purchasers
of fireworks to be licensed through the
Environmental Risk Management Authority.
This would mean that groups wanting to put on a Guy
Fawkes display, celebrate New Year, Diwali or even a
wedding where fireworks are part of the fun would apply
for a licence and organise their own import of fireworks.
Ms Hobbs is confident of getting support for the
measure in Parliament, but that doesn’t mean the
sparklers will be stamped out any time soon.
Fire on Mount Victoria (2005)
caused by fireworks.
Fire safety
Bob Kerridge: long-time opponent
of public sales of fireworks.
...for now
Private members’ bills need to be drawn from a ballot,
meaning there is a high element of luck in the process.
Then there are several readings of the bill in the house
and select committee consideration.
If there is an election during the life of a private
member’s bill, it is up to the incoming government
to continue putting the bill through the voting
process.
All this means there is next to no chance of a new
law taking effect before November 5 this year.
However, the former school principal says she
will not let the bill languish in the ballot
indefinitely.
“If it hasn’t come out of the ballot by October, I
will look at taking it to caucus [to become a
Government bill].”
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
Picture: courtesy of Bob Kerridge
9

Incidents
10 Issue No. 20
The onset of winter brought with it the annual house
fire season – with tragic consequences.
Fatal fires, injury fires and near misses
were seen the length of New Zealand
over May.
In Morrinsville, 15-month-old Falcon
Whaiapu died when the house he
lived in with six of his family caught
fire in the early hours of May 19.
A family member passing by raised
the alarm, while the surviving
members of the Whaiapu family were
coughing for air outside the blazing
house.
The fatality was the result of some
tragic misjudgement – a piece of
furniture set alight by a child playing
with the woodburner was moved to
the hallway, blocking the way to
Falcon’s room.
West Auckland: a towel
on a heater led to this.
A second house fire in the Waikato
claimed the life of Tokoroa woman
Susan Seymour on June 8.
Further south a Levin man was
rescued from his burning home after
calling 111 on his cellphone with
thick smoke all around him, while a
family had a lucky escape after a
suspicious fire started on their porch.
In Bluff an elderly man learned a
lesson about looking while you’re
cooking when a kitchen fire left his
house “absolutely, 100 percent stuffed”
in the words of SSO Paul Taylor.
In Auckland, the benefits of Firewise
in schools was obvious as young
members of the house took the lead
in two separate fires.

Grey Lynn: no smoke alarms meant Vao
Kalolo and family were lucky to escape.
Panmure: leading by example
got Sophie Taua’s family out.
Panmure 15 year old Sophie Taua
did everything right when a
freezer caught fire, leading eight
people, including her 80-year-old
grandmother, out of the house,
and closing the door on a rapidly
growing fire.
In Grey Lynn a few weeks later, 10
year old Anthony Kalolo raised the
alarm, waking his parents and baby
sister up as firefighters began tackling
the fire from the outside.
The house had no smoke alarms as it
was being painted.
On the downside, the perils of
covering heaters with washing
were all too clearly seen in a West
Auckland fire.
A towel caught fire, and the
householder’s attempt to move it saw
it drop onto the heater’s gas pipe,
burning through it and causing an
explosion.
The explosion blew out a door and
windows, and the fire killed a dog,
but the three people in the house at
the time escaped alive.
Pictures: Jason Oxenham,
Auckland City Harbour News
and courtesy of Mike Barrat.
Incidents
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
11

Incidents
Need a lift?
Ah, Auckland; 1.3 million people, 500,000 cars,
48 volcanoes…one electricity sub-station.
That was the big problem on June 12
when the lights went out over large
parts of Auckland, leaving traffic
lights out, heating and refrigeration
down and lifts, well, up.
In fact, the only thing working was
the Fire Service, with Auckland crews
attending about 350 incidents in one
hectic shift.
SSO Barry Fox says the main initial
source of calls was people stuck in
lifts, with some good intent calls
where people saw the smoke from
diesel generators firing up and
12 Issue No. 20
thought it was a fire.
Then came the stormrelated
call-outs as
rain and high-winds
added to the chaos.
Barry says the day was the first test
for the new multiple incident
procedures (MIPs) that were redrawn
a few months ago, whereby one truck
is sent to each incident to spread the
available resources are far as possible.
MIPs did not fail, with response times
acceptable throughout the busy day.
Pictures: New Zealand Herald
Northern ComCen answered the
bulk of its hundreds of 111 calls
within the required eight seconds,
dispatching help as fast as it was
available.
The only hiccup, Barry says, was the
confusion caused by the fact that lift
keys are only kept in rescue tenders,
and a brief loss of radio contact with
the North Shore – fixed ingeniously
by using the hazmat/command unit
to channel hand-held radio back
into the wider network.
Miracles
do happen
The result of this plunge in Papaiti Rd, Wanganui, was only
a few scratches for the young driver.
The 17-year-old woman was wearing her seatbelt when her
car left the road, and that was credited with her minor
miracle survival story.
Pictured is Nick Eddy from the Wanganui fire brigade
climbing the bank after inspecting the car.
Picture: Wanganui Chronicle

All white on the night
Snow in early June came to South and Mid
Canterbury in volumes not seen in living memory.
At the same time as Auckland’s power was out because of a
single downed wire, dozens of lines came down around
towns like Geraldine and Timaru causing black outs that
lasted days in the most remote areas.
Blanketed brigades just had to rug-up and get on with it, as
these photos show.
However, while it was pretty, the snow was also deadly, with
a rural Ashburton man caught in a fire initially thought to
have started as he used open flames to heat his home.
Heavy snow slowed the response from the Fire Service,
reducing the man’s minimal chance of survival to zero.
Black spot strikes
An accident on the roads between Napier
and Hastings is fast becoming routine for
emergency services.
Pictures: Kerry Marshall
Incidents
This prang in early June was minor, but there have been
numerous more serious crashes in recent months in the
Hawke’s Bay, including a fatal crash at Te Aute and a
Napier crash involving a number of teens in a soupedup
car. It was chillingly reminiscent of the multiple
fatality crash last year that highlighted the bad driving
culture in the Bay.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
Pictures: Phil de Joux, and Geraldine Fire Brigade.
13

World of Fire & Rescue
14 Issue No. 20
United Kingdom:
Fitting in
Story courtesy of Fire Magazine
It’s one thing for firefighters to promote
sprinklers, but quite another to install
them for those in the most need, but
Merseyside firefighters are doing just
that.
Money from the Neighbourhood Renewal
Fund in Liverpool is helping Merseyside
Fire and Rescue Service install sprinklers
in the homes of vulnerable residents.
Two houses have been fitted with
sprinklers and 10 more are set to benefit.
Liverpool Community Fire Safety
manager Tony Harland says the group
thinks long and hard about who gets the
sprinklers.
“We have a strict criteria of who can
receive the full sprinkler. If we can’t
reduce the risk of fire from our normal
measures and we need to go that step
further we will consider fitting a
sprinkler system.”
Tony Coulter (53) was the second
recipient. He lives alone and is blind
and a smoker, which puts him in a
high-risk category for fire.
He has already had a lucky escape
from a kitchen fire. “That was a close
shave,” he says. “There was a fault
on my cooker and I woke up one
night to my smoke alarm.”
As well as the sprinklers, Mr Coulter
has received additional smoke
alarms and fire-retardant bedding.
“I’m delighted. I can sleep safe at
night now. It gives me much more
confidence and peace of mind.”
The other home sprinklers were
installed in the home of a woman
with epilepsy who also smoked.
Algeria:
Coping in
the chaos
Nihan Erdogan from Turkey’s
urban search and rescue taskforce
talks about the lessons learned
from a North African quake.
On May 21, 2003 an earthquake measuring 6.7 on
the Richter scale hit Algeria. It caused more than
2000 deaths and injured 9500. The Istanbul University
Natural Disasters Search and Rescue Team (ISUDAK)
was dispatched to the most affected area Bourmerdes,
50 kilometres east of the capital Algiers.
It was a successful operation, but we learnt many
lessons.
Although rescuers naturally want to start working as
soon as possible, it is very important to coordinate
the response to an earthquake. Lack of coordination
may cause duplication of efforts. In Algeria,
coordination meetings were organised by United
Nations On-Site Operations Coordination Centre
(OSOCC) and there were benefits for ISUDAK.
A disaster environment is an extraordinary situation
for health and hygiene conditions. Urban search and
rescue teams should be very careful and take care of
themselves. In the Algeria earthquake, ISUDAK was
based at the Bourmerdes Stadium, which was hardly
affected by the earthquake.

Remarkably, the toilets were working, but heavy
use for five days by various USAR teams soon put
them out of action and mobile toilets were set up.
This taught us the importance of hygiene tools at
disasters. From this experience our team learnt
that no matter what happens, setting up a toilet
and shower facility at the base of operations
should be one of the first duties of the camp
management.
An increase in the number of USAR teams around
the world is a positive development but also a
challenge for information management. So it is
very important to inform the coordination bodies
– in this case OSOCC – as soon as they decide to
dispatch. ISUDAK made the information
declaration via faxes at the Algeria earthquake,
but we learnt from the drawbacks to this that you
should use “Virtual OSOCC” – an internet based
coordination tool developed by United Nations
– before even getting on the plane.
Another important point at an international
operation is safety and security. People who have
lost their family, friends, home or workplace may
not be receptive to the rescue teams. At the
Algeria earthquake, while making an assessment
at a debris area, the local community around the
area was very angry, saying there were still victims
under the debris and that no international teams
helped recover them. Security in the area was
very weak and it was very difficult to control the
anger of the people. We learnt that it is important
to find out security and the general mood before
going into an area.
In the first 72 hours after a disaster an international
urban search and rescue team can often find the
East Timor:
The ultimate volunteer
This is one of East Timor’s
volunteer firefighters tackling an
arson in the strife-torn country.
Picture: Getty Images
cameras’ lights turned to their faces. At the Algeria
earthquake, ISUDAK was approached for interviews
and the team’s media representative had a very
successful interview process – although some
journalists tried hard to get some off-the-record
information.
Lastly, with all the different teams working in the
earthquake area, we found it necessary to have
some international standards and a common
language, such as international marking and
signalling systems. Since the Algeria earthquake,
ISUDAK has become a member of the United
Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory
Group to encourage other USAR teams to apply
these standards.
After a group of ex-police and
army members ran amok in the
capital Dilli, New Zealand and
Australian armed forces were
sent in to keep the peace.
Local police and army personnel
withdrew to calm tensions.
However, with most of the rebels
disarmed and no police on
patrol, disaffected locals took to
machete attacks, looting and
arson to vent their displeasure.
The small core of lightlyequipped
firefighters struggle
with conditions at the best of
times, with unreliable water
sources and little in the way of
fire prevention equipment in
Dilli homes.
Now though, local firefighters
are caught in the middle of
armed conflict, putting out fires
under army guard and
sometimes being threatened
while doing their unpaid work.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
15

Picture: Dean Treml
Events
16 Issue No. 20
Firewood and poker:
how to raise $17K
Completing the Sky Tower Vertical Challenge is a feat in itself,
but when first time starters from Paihia Volunteer Fire Brigade
collected $17,286. 61 for charity, it exemplified the community
spirit of the small Bay of Islands community.
By Maria Cowin
This was the first time Paihia had
entered a team in the history of the
six-year event, and the initiation was
a grand success. Not only did Paihia’s
contribution to the Leukaemia &
Blood Foundation of New Zealand
represent two thirds of the total
$26,000 raised – eclipsing last year’s
grand total of $16,000 – but they
also walked away with the silver
medal in the team event.
Firefighter Hughie Blues, one of the
five entrants from Paihia, says the
community rallied behind the brigade
from the very start.
When Hughie, DCFO Rex Wilson,
FF Peter McCorkindale and FF
Wayne Flood first decided to enter
the event in August 2005, they were
– according to Hughie – not in the
finest physical form of their lives.
“We started by running just two
kilometres – with no equipment,”
he says.
But they persevered, diligent with a
training regime that culminated in
the Cape Brett Challenge – a daunting
35kms of off road running.
By race day – May 6, 2006 – the guys
were ready to take on the Sky Tower.
In the meantime, Paihia residents had
been out in support of the brigade’s
fundraisers, including a garage sale
and macrocarpa firewood sale.
However Hughie says the brigade
really hit the jackpot with a casino
night, which they ran in conjunction
with the local Rotary Club.
“That was in March. Until then we
had about $3,800 in the bank, but
we got more than $12,000 from that
one night. It was a miserable, wet
night, but more than 170 people
came out for it.”
So with a cheque for $17,000 in their
pocket, 10 members of the 26-strong
Paihia brigade headed to Auckland
for the challenge; five on the support
team, the four members who had
been in training for the better part of
nine months, and a fifth challenger –
FF Brent Webb.
At the beginning of June, the Paihia
Fire Brigade held a spit roast barbeque
to thank the community, particularly
the sponsors, who helped them raise
the $17,000.
“We just wanted to say thanks to
everyone who helped us. We couldn’t
have done this without them.”
Paihia Volunteer Fire Brigade would
like to thank the following for
their support: GreenPiece Fruit &
Vegetables, Rotary Club B.O.I,
Copthorne Hotel & Resort B.O.I,
Kauri Cliffs, Pure Tastes Ltd, Bay of
Islands Swordfish Club and the
families of the team for all of the
time not at home.

Pictures: Kerry Marshall
Here comes the son
When Apiti 6-year-old Caleb Jensen’s
house filled with smoke, he didn’t panic,
he just went to get Dad.
Dad is Malcolm, who just happens to be the Apiti
DCFO.
Malcolm and colleagues turned out to the property in
northern Manawatu to find Caleb had evacuated his
babysitter, sister and dog to the safety of a near-by
shed before raising the alarm.
The house was alright – the smoke was from the coal
range playing up – but it was a lesson in the value of
teaching kids about fire safety.
For his efforts, acting Western Fire Region commander
Mitchell Brown and VSO Tiger McCleary presented
Caleb with his very own level 2s.
Ladder Be
Picture: Manawatu Standard/Murray Wilson
Nothing beats the feeling of getting a new truck, so
there are understandably a few smiles on the dials in
Napier as they train with their new 17-metre Bronto.
The Type 4 Scania is one of 15 such trucks being delivered to stations
literally from Whangarei to Invercargill.
The Bronto is not the only new arrival for the
Hawke’s Bay brigade, although the other
has a sense of deja vu about it; CFO
Paul Baxter returns to the helm at
the conclusion of his secondment
at National Headquarters in the
Media, Promotions and
Communications team.
Thanks for all the hard work, Paul.
Events
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
17

Events
Trust me, I’m a firefighter…
For the fourth year running, it’s firefighters who come out on top of the annual Reader’s
Digest New Zealand’s Most Trusted poll.
Firefighters pipped ambulance officers
and pilots to the top spot in the poll
of thirty occupations. Last year’s
silver and gold medallists, nurses and
doctors, slipped two places each.
The survey threw up some surprises,
with people putting more faith in
their bus driver or hairdresser than
their religious minister, but when it
comes to who to call on when the
chips are down, it helps once again to
have a red truck handy.
The most trusted individual was Sir
Edmund Hillary, making this
combination of Sir Ed, Lady Hillary
and Manukau CFO Larry Cocker
possibly the most trusted ever to sit
on the back of a truck.
New Zealand’s Most Trusted Occupations:
1. Firefighters
2. Ambulance Officers
3. Pilots
4. Nurses
5. Doctors
6. Pharmacists
7. Teachers
8. Dentists
9. Police Officers
10. Judges
11. Childcare providers
12. Bus/train drivers
13. Hairdressers
14. Chiropractors
15. Personal trainers
18 Issue No. 20
16. Builders
17. Accountants
18. Religious ministers
19. Lawyers
20. Domestic cleaners
21. Financial planners
22. On-the-street donation collectors
23. CEOs
24. Taxi drivers
25. Journalists
26. Real estate agents
27. Psychics
28. Telemarketers
29. Car salesmen
30. Politicians
Picture: Brendon O’Hagan

Pictures: Lance Lawson and Dean Treml
The recruit’s recruit
Geoff Purcell has been national recruitment manager for just over six months,
he tells Fire & Rescue the truth about training new blood.
Former Tauranga SSO – now national recruitment
manager – Geoff Purcell is on a mission of two halves: to
keep the number of operational staff up to the required
levels in a time of relatively low unemployment, and to
increase the diversity of a service that is no longer as white
and homogenous as blue-top milk.
It’s a fine line to walk; targeting women and recruits from
different ethnicities can be seen as favouritism, but Geoff
is quick to dispel that idea.
“There’s a lot of misinformation about recruitment.
“People think there’s a quota system. They also don’t
understand who to contact and how to go about directing
an inquiry about joining.”
First things first, says Geoff Purcell, the recruitment
testing programme is not soft on anyone, and only the
best get through.
Recruitment
Potential recruits face a cognitive test, followed by a
physical pre-entry test (PPT), which Geoff describes as
“similar to the PCA – but harder”.
The PPT is followed, a few weeks later, by PAC day – a
further four-and-a-half hours of testing in 20-minute stints.
At each stage potential recruits drop off, leaving the best
for interviews.
“We went from 720 applicants to 320 after the PPT last
time.
“People also think we make the test easier for women, but
that’s not the case.
“It’s true that women sometimes struggle to pass the PPT,
but it goes in swings and round-abouts.
“The course before last, no women
passed. But last time 10 female
applicants got through to the
final stage of testing, with nine
going on to interviews.”
Where the recruitment strategy
focuses on minorities is in its
advertising.
For instance, a Maori and Pacific
festival in Porirua soon will
feature a stand from the Fire
Service trying to attract
more brown faces for a
city that is predominantly
Polynesian.
Look on the public
website under recruitment
and you will find a
video designed to show
women what is involved
in passing the PPT.
Neither initiative will
give applicants the
motivation or fitness
to get ready for testing,
but those are the sorts
of qualities potential
firefighters should have
anyway, Geoff says.
To get a paid firefighter application go to www.fire.org.nz or call 0800 FIRE RECRUIT
(347 373)
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
Angela Munro
presents a recruitment
film on the website.
19

Fun & Games
Wheel meet again
There are many good points
about being a firefighter…
Too cool for school
…the pride in service, the adrenaline of a call-out, the
life-long friends, but the best perk has to be getting to
drive everywhere in a fire truck.
Which is why Wairakei School’s idea for an “arrive at
school in style day” – the idea being to find a method of
conveyance to be the envy of your school mates – is so
suited to a firefighter.
20 Issue No. 20
There were some neat wheels on display at a Rangitikei
open day recently. All the emergency services had a
display, demonstrating safety tips and techniques, but
the kids (including the older ones) were distracted by
some of the other sights.
On the day in question
there were motorbikes,
freight trucks and all
manner of transport
options, but the kids all
went flocking to Kevin
Congdon and his big red
truck from Taupo…until
this little girl turned up in
her helicopter.
Pictures: Taupo Times

Pictures: Dave Rielly and Taranaki Daily News
The competition was held on
Mothers’ Day, May 14, which
attracted some comment from
spouses denied breakfast in bed by
a record number of entries in the
event.
Fun & Games
Under the mountain
The third annual Toughest Firefighter Around (the Mountain)
competition brought out the best in South Taranaki firefighters.
Nicola Evans, Stratford
Twenty-eight firefighters and one
ambulance officer (New Plymouth’s
Rob Berry) took part at Corbett Park,
Oakura.
The competition was its usual
gruelling self, with competitors in
five divisions required to undertake
the following: run two deliveries
of 70mm flaked hose (branches
attached); carry a 25kg weight;
climb a ladder and raise a
drum of foam to a six metre
platform; hit a block of
wood 50 times with a
sledgehammer; run 100 metres;
negotiate an obstacle course
comprising a pipe, fence and dummydrag;
carry an extinguisher, and run
30 metres of hose over the shoulder
from a truck – all done against the
clock.
The competition is performed while
dressed from the waist up in full level
2s with BA set (minus the mask, so as
not to disguise the looks of anguish).
The Taranaki weather had its say
during the day and the final few
competitors had to add slippery
ground and torrential rain to the list
of obstacles, but all performed with
great spirit.
Rowan Oldfield, Oakura
Chief Fire Officer Craig Scott, Oakura
Andrew Meuli (Okaiawa) won the
overall title, having been bridesmaid
at the previous two TFA(TM) events.
He notched up a time of 4 minutes
52 seconds.
Two-time defending champ Dennis
Gibbon (Eltham) had to settle for
second, with 5 minutes 3 seconds
his time.
Nicola Evans (Stratford) was the
fastest woman, just three seconds
ahead of Jo Scott (Oakura).
For the first time, three crews had
three or more competitors (Oakura,
Eltham and Manaia), allowing a team
challenge to be thrown into the mix.
Hosts Oakura – able to draw on
12 entrants – won hands down.
While it might not be on Mothers’
Day, it will be on again next
year, so get training!
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine June/July 2006
21

Fun & Games
Here to play
An Auckland firefighter proves winners make their own luck.
Rochelle Martin knows how to win.
The captain of Auckland’s women’s
national provincial championship
rugby team has never presided over
a defeat.
In fact, the last time her team lost a
match under anyone’s watch was
more than 10 years ago when
Rochelle was playing for Wellington.
Her other team isn’t doing too bad
either. The Black Ferns will defend
the rugby world cup in Edmonton,
Canada, in August and September
this year, hoping for a hat-trick of
titles.
But 2005 was special, with the flanker
captaining New Zealand to a 33-8
whipping of England in a test at Eden
Park in the absence of regular leader
Farah Palmer and then claiming the
New Zealand and Auckland Woman
Player of the Year titles.
And recently, the 33-year-old added
another win to her already impressive
CV – taking out the Fire Service
Sportsperson of the Year Award for
the second time.
She and powerlifter Derek Pomana
are the only two-time winners of the
award.
At the presentation of the award in
Wellington, Dame Margaret Bazley
hinted that it was a bit cheeky of the
22 Issue No. 20
SPORTS
COUNCIL
Event Calendar
2 0 0 6
Fire Service to take credit for
Rochelle’s 2005 achievements, but
the player disagreed.
“The Fire Service can take credit
because of all the support I’ve had to
achieve my goals in rugby.”
Support ranged from time off to play
overseas (the World Cup will take
Rochelle out of Otahuhu green watch
for six weeks) to help training and
just the odd pat on the back.
If Rochelle is given the chance to
repeat the privilege of captaining
New Zealand this year, it will
mean both men’s and women’s teams
are led by the player wearing
number 7.
Whether or not that happens,
Rochelle – who has been
talking about retiring from
rugby since 2002, but
keeps turning out –
clearly has the attitude
to succeed.
Here’s what she said
after Auckland beat
Canterbury in the
national provincial
final last year:
“We’re not pros but
we’re here to play. We’re
high achievers in our
area. We strive for that.”
Ohakune Ski Racing
Ohakune
August 3 & 4, 2006
Email:
Ohakune@fire.org.nz
New Zealand Trout
Fishing Tournament
Turangi • August 21 – 24, 2006
Email:
francarmstrong@hotmail.com
Entry forms and contacts for some events are available online at Firenet or fire.org.nz
New Zealand’s 2006 Women’s Rugby
World Cup dates:
Vs. Canada, August 31
Vs. Samoa, September 4
Vs. Scotland, September 8
Semi final, September 12
Final, September 17
Sth Island Basketball
Tournament
Waimate
August 26 – 28, 2006
Email: rysen@xtra.co.nz
Pictures: Lance Lawson and the New Zealand Herald

The Fire Service National Volleyball Tournament
was held at the Wellington College Sports Hall,
Wellington on April 20 & 21.
By CFO Jon Graham
Eighteen teams from as far afield as Whangarei competed
in the event that has become an annual fixture for many
participants. This year’s event was hosted by the
Wellington District, assisted by Wellington College,
Capital City Volleyball and many local businesses,
bars and manufacturers.
Teams from Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, New
Plymouth, the Hutt Valley, National Headquarters
and Wellington competed. ‘A’ grade was won by
Whangarei ‘A’, the ‘B’ (or open) grade by “Bring
Back the Funk” from Wellington, while “Hair of the
Old Dogs” from Lower Hutt scooped the treasured
social grade trophy.
A smaller venue than usual boosted the festive
atmosphere. Teams and many onlookers crowded in
to partake in yelling, shouting and musical interludes.
SFF Vern Greenham entertained the crowds with his
trumpet while SFF Spencer Greenham provided
percussion support. The only injury was to SFF Clark
Tasker from Wellington who is consigned to a leg brace
and six months off work due to ruptured knee tendons.
Get well soon, Clark !!
All participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the
three Auckland firefighters (and two Auckland regional
staff) who attended will try to inspire some interest from
personnel in New Zealand’s biggest city in hosting the
event in 2007. The challenge is for Auckland firefighters
to support a superb, fun and morale raising Fire Service
tournament.
National Rugby Tournament
Dunedin • September 15 & 16, 2006
(15-a-side, 10-a-side and Golden Oldies)
Contact: Peter Leckie, 03 489 7999 or
021 137 6616 Email: Peter.Leckie@fire.org.nz
National Ski Championships
Treble Cone, Wanaka
September 18 – 21, 2006
Email: bruce.t.Irvine@fire.org.nz
or visit www.nzfireski.co.nz
Fun & Games
Indoor Rowing
Competition
Dunedin
September 30, 2006
Email: logan.akers@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 June/July 2006
23

Obituaries
Paul Hunter
19/01/1932 – 27/04/2006
Paul Hunter joined the Point Howard Brigade in 1974 and retired
from service 18 years later holding the rank of Station Officer. For
much of this time Paul was also a member of the Petone Fire Brigade
turning out during the working week for them. Both of Paul’s sons
Dave and Rob followed him into the Fire Service and also served for
many years at the Point Howard and Petone stations.
Paul will always be remembered for his resourcefulness at a time
when volunteer brigades were under-equipped and under-funded.
He organised the building of numerous bits of gear for the old Point
Howard appliance and also acquired resuscitation equipment at a
time when many appliances did not carry it.
Paul succumbed to a terminal illness aged 74.
Eni Toafa
03/02/1957 – 02/06/2006
Eni has been a valued staff member of the Fire Service for 18 years
starting with us in July 1988. As a member of the Human Resources
team Eni coordinated the
medical and security
screening process for all
permanent and volunteer
recruits.
Jim Morrison
01/01/1931 – 04/04/2006
Eni will be greatly missed
by all her colleagues here
at the Fire Service.
Eni’s funeral was held at
the North City Apostolic
Church in Porirua.
Jim joined the Eastbourne Fire Brigade in Lower Hutt in
1955, eventually becoming a third officer.
A keen sportsman and artist, Jim was heavily involved in
firefighters’ competitions in an era when these were fiercely
contested.
He was given full brigade honours at his funeral on April 11.
24 Issue No. 20
Don Cowper
Died 05/06/2006
A well-travelled North Island firefighter,
Don served in the Helensville,
Matamata, Kaponga and Katikati
volunteer fire brigades. He made
Deputy Chief at Kaponga and
Katikati.
He also found time to be the secretary
of the Auckland Provincial Gold Star
Association for a number of years and
was Past President of the same
association.
Don’s funeral was at the Seddon Park
Funeral Home in Hamilton on June 9.

By order of the Fire Service Commission
Notices pages 26–27
Appointments pages 28–29
Notices for the Fire Service Gazette should
be emailed to: nzfs.gazette@fire.org.nz
Fire Service Gazette June/July 2006
25

26
Notices
Notices
Notice N0: 82 William Hanna Estate Gift
Local fire safety education/promotions work
Invitation to submit projects for funding
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.
The Chief Executive has decided to use the gift to fund local fire safety education projects.
The amount available this year is $1300.
All brigades (paid, volunteer, and composite) are invited to apply to use the amount received for a local fire
safety education project. The Director Media, Promotions and Communications will consider applications and
decide on which projects to fund.
In order to be considered for funding, projects must:
• Meet the charitable purpose of being educational
• Contribute to the national fire safety promotion objectives
• Give a defined benefit to the community served by the brigade
• Be timed to be completed by 30 June 2007
• Have a detailed budget showing how the funds will be spent
Applications can be made for part or all of the funds available.
Applications must be made in writing detailing how the project will meet the above requirements and sent to the
following address:
William Hanna Fire Safety Promotion
New Zealand Fire Service Headquarters
P O Box 2133
Wellington
Attention: Amber Ryan
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 18 August 2006. Any queries regarding the application
process should be directed to Debbie Barber, ph: (04) 470-3310 or debbie.barber@fire.org.nz.
Notice No: 83 Waitara Volunteer Fire Brigade Centennial
Waitara Volunteer Fire Brigade centenary celebrations are planned for Labour Weekend 2010.
Register your interest in attending by post to: Centenary Convenor, Waitara Fire Brigade, Grey Street Waitara
or Email to wg.cf.bird@xtra.co.nz
Notice No: 84 Featherston Volunteer Fire Brigade Centennial
November 10 – 12, 2006
A celebration is to be held for all past and present members of the Featherston Volunteer Fire Brigade who
have served for five years or more.
For further information, contact: Centennial Secretary Toots Boswell, PO Box 110, Featherston
Ph: (06) 308 6155

Notice No: 85 Guidelines for recruiting and training volunteer firefighters under age 18
Notices
The following guidelines have been drawn up by a group comprising members of the UFBA, volunteer CFOs,
volunteer firefighters and representatives from the Fire Service.
The guidelines aim to provide a safe introduction to the Fire Service for these young people while encouraging
their ongoing involvement. Additionally a parental consent form has been written to cover our legal obligations
when recruiting under 18 year olds.
1. Where possible it is recommended training to operational status for under 18 firefighters could be
individually tailored to the young person based on the assessment of their maturity and mental and
emotional readiness, by nominated and senior members of the brigade. It is generally thought to be
better that young people spend as much time as possible being supervised in non-operational roles
before progressing through basic training.
2. Young firefighters under age 18 should not be actively involved with MVAs until they have passed the
appropriate course. Attendance at this course should be delayed until they are deemed by senior brigade
staff to be emotionally and mentally capable of dealing with stressful incidents.
3. It would be preferable for brigades to assign a senior staff member to act as a buddy, supervisor or
mentor to each young firefighter to assist them in the early years of training and work with the brigade.
This mentor would also liaise with the young person’s parents or caregivers. Mentors will themselves
need some form of supervision (which could be informal) by the CFO of the brigade.
It is expected unless there are good reasons to the contrary that the accompanying consent form needs to be
understood and signed by all parents or caregivers to all applicants to the volunteer fire service under age 18.
Notice No: 86 K99 on DVD
K99, the quarterly Fire Service video, is available as a DVD. If you would prefer to receive your copy as a DVD,
contact your region admin manager and ask them to change your order.
K99 will continue to be available as a video for stations that do not have a DVD player. You can have one or
the other.
Notice No: 87 POLHR 6.3 Personnel Facing Legal Action Policy
A policy covering processes for Personnel Facing Legal Action has been approved by the NZFS Commission
following the standard consultation process.
The new policy is available to all personnel on FireNet.
Notice No: 88 POLHR 6.7 Visual Display Unit (VDU) – Eyesight Testing/Reimbursement Policy
An new Visual Display Unit (VDU) – Eyesight Testing/Reimbursement Policy has been approved by the NZFS
Commission following the standard consultation process.
It supercedes ‘P’ circular P94/14.
The new policy is available to all personnel on FireNet.
Fire Service Gazette June/July 2006
27

28
Appointments
Appointments
Vacancy Position Filled Person
Appointed
. CBRE Development Team Project
Member, NHQ
. Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Kaponga Fire Brigade
. Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Thames Volunteer Fire
. Senior Station Officer,
Beachlands Volunteer Fire Brigade
. Station Officer,
Bulls Volunteer Fire Brigade
10/2006
- 3031B
14/2006
- 8006
Communicator Part-time,
Northern Communications Centre
Fire Safety Officer,
Bay/Waikato Fire Region
17/2006 Station Officer,
Auckland City Central Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
17/2006 Station Officer,
Auckland City Central Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
176/2005
- 3142
Communicator,
Northern Communications Centre
18/2006 Station Officer,
Auckland City Central Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
18/2006 Station Officer,
Auckland City Central Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
19/2006 Station Officer,
Manukau Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
20/2006 Station Officer,
Manukau Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
21/2006 Station Officer,
Auckland City Central Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
Denis
O’Donoghue
Proposed
Start Date
Previous Position Held
5 June 06 Chief Fire Officer North
Shore District
Peter Ford . Station Officer, Kaponga
Volunteer Fire Brigade
Greg Rendall . Station Officer, Thames
Volunteer Fire Brigade
Shane Rutherford . Station Officer
John Bowen . Senior Firefighter, Bulls
Volunteer Fire Brigade
Stephanie Boyd 20 Feb .
Kevin Holmes 8 May Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Raglan Volunteer Fire Brigade
Ken Lousley 22 May Senior Firefighter, Auckland
City Central Fire District
Lyall Kennedy 18 May Senior Firefighter, Waitakere
City Fire District
Sarah Bowles 23 Feb .
Chris Todd 20 Feb Senior Firefighter, Auckland
City Central Fire District
Brad Mosby 20 May Senior Firefighter, Auckland
City Central Fire District
Graham Grace 26 May Station Officer, Auckland
City East Fire District
Dave McKeown 30 May Senior Firefighter, Manukau
Fire District
Mark Griffin 28 May Senior Firefighter, Manukau
Fire District

Vacancy Position Filled Person
Appointed
21/2006 Station Officer,
Auckland City Central Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
22/2006 Station Officer,
North Shore Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
23/2006 Fire Safety Officer,
Education & Youth Awareness,
Southern Fire Region
41/2006
- 3059
Senior Information Officer,
NHQ
49/2006 Firefighter,
Dunedin City Fire Brigade,
Southern Fire Region
51/2006
- 2021
Senior Communications Adviser,
NHQ
. Chief Fire Officer,
Southbridge Fire District
. Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Eastern Fire Region
. Senior Station Officer,
Kawakawa Bay Volunteer Fire Brigade
21/2006 Station Officer,
North Shore Fire District,
Auckland Fire Region
33/2006 Training Development Adviser
(Auckland), PDU NHQ
36/2006 Senior Station Officer,
Hastings Fire Brigade,
Eastern Fire Region
. Station Officer,
Waitara Volunteer Fire Brigade
Proposed
Start Date
Appointments
Previous Position Held
Ross Leadley 30 May Senior Firefighter,
Auckland City East Fire
District
Doug Lyell 18 May Senior Firefighter,
Silverdale Fire District
Terry Glass 26 May Senior Firefighter,
Manukau Fire Brigade
Kate Morrison-
Smith
19 Jun .
Kate Payne 17 Jun Senior Firefighter,
Napier Fire Brigade
Susan Grant-
Mackie
Donald Paul
McMillan
22 May Senior Communications
Adviser, NZFS (Temporary
Contract)
10 Jun Deputy Chief Fire Officer,
Southbridge Fire District
Peter Daymond 29 May Senior Station Officer,
Pahiatua Volunteer Fire
Brigade
Jeff O’Sullivan Station Officer,
Kawakawa Bay Volunteer
Fire Brigade
Martin Campbell 22 May Station Officer,
Auckland City East Fire
District
Angela de Villiers 22 May .
Dennis O’Leary To be
confirmed
Senior Station Officer
(Acting), Hastings Fire
Brigade
Shaun Wooller . Senior Firefighter,
Waitara Volunteer Fire
Brigade
Fire Service Gazette June/July 2006
29

Picture: Iain McGregor, Waikato Times
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine
Published June 2006
By the New Zealand Fire Service
Media, Promotions & Communications
National Headquarters, Wellington
www.fire.org.nz

Detach along dotted line
Like what you see?
Give us your feedback on Fire & Rescue
Fire & Rescue is 2 years old. It’s high time we asked the people who read it what works and what doesn’t.
Please take a couple of minutes to complete this survey. You can also complete it online at www.fire.org.nz.
Are you…
q A career firefighter?
q A volunteer firefighter?
q Non-operational personnel?
q Not with the Fire Service?
(skip next question)
What region are you with?
q Northland
q Auckland
q Bay/Waikato
q Eastern
q Western
q Arapawa
q Transalpine
q Southern
q National Headquarters
How would you describe your
readership of Fire & Rescue:
q Read it cover to cover every month
q Read parts of it every month
q Read it most months
q Read bits from time to time
q Hardly ever read it
How do you most often read
Fire & Rescue?
q I read the copy delivered to
me/my workplace/my station
q I get a copy from someone else
q I read it on-line
How much do you like reading about the following:
Incident reports
Profiles of Fire
Service staff
Feature stories (ie:
Arson investigating)
Stories about fire
safety events
Awards stories
Obituaries
Scottie’s Corner
The Gazette
Anything to do with
my brigade / region
How to… articles
Always read
them
Sometimes
read them
Hardly ever/
never read
them
What other kinds of articles would you like to see in
Fire & Rescue? (describe)

Fold here
FreePost Authority Number 127058
Fold here
Fold this flap down last and tape along this edge
Fire & Rescue Survey
PO Box 2133
Wellington