North Canterbury News: October 12, 2023

Up in abang ... FENZ Community Risk Reduction advisor Kerri Pring shows how acooking
oil fire, on astove, expands to 1700 times it’s size when you add water to put it out.
PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE
Afirey demonstration
By JOHN COSGROVE
Understanding howtopresentFire­Wise
demonstrationstoYearOne andTwo
school pupils,learning howthe Fireand
EmergencyNew Zealand(FENZ) display
trailers work and what promotional signs
are availablefor brigades to hangoutside
their stations, were justsomeofthe
activitiesNorthCanterbury Volunteer
FireBrigades wereshownatadistrictwidetrainingseminar
held in Amberley
recently.
FENZcommunity risk manager for
Canterbury,DeanHarker, saidthe 70
North Canterbury firefightersattending
werealsoshownthe manydifferentfire
prevention training tools available to
them from FENZ .
‘‘It wasall about upskilling themonhow
to increase fireprevention awareness in
their communities.’’
‘‘We evenhad inflatable displayswhich
showedhow bigthe 4m x4mspacewas to
give people an idea on how to clear their
farm drivewayssoour fireenginescan get
on to their properties.’’
Oneofthe more unusualdisplays was
thegrowing campaign by FENZ to get
peopletoplantlow flammableplants in
gardens andaround houses on farms.
Risk adviserand wildfire investigator
Grant Campbell saidlow flammable
plants species saved manyhouses in the
recentPort Hills, Ohauand Nelsonwild
fires.
‘‘It doesn't take muchtosee how these
houses didn’t burn butothers didonce we
startedlooking at the typesofflowers and
plants owners hadaround their houses.
‘‘NativessuchasGriselinia,FiveFinger
andRed Beech didn’tcatchfire and
helped savethe homes,‘‘ he said.
Mr Campbellsaid thework done by All
BlackSam Whitelock and ProfessorTim
Curran at Lincolnserves to help home
owners think again about what's in their
gardens.
NEWS
The North Canterbury News, October 12, 2023
Find Your Dream Scooter
UnmissableSecond-hand Sale HappeningNow
27
Afamily of lifeguards
If you live in the Hurunui, you will likely
find aBeckdahl at apool near you.
As swimming centres around the
country struggle with anation­wide
shortage of lifeguards, one Hurunui
family has produced not one, but three
lifeguards.
Ruby, aged 16, is the last sibling of the
Beckdahl family to take up the
challenge, last week smashing her
lifeguarding swim test at MainPower
Amberley Pool.
The former competitive swimmer
brought the qualifier home with atime
of three minutes, 10 seconds over 200
metres, well in front of the required six
minutes.
Ruby is following afamily path, with
brothers Elijah (20) and Noah (18) both
starting lifeguarding at Amberley Pool
before joining Hanmer Springs Pool,
where Elijah is still working.
With afair amount of friendly sibling
rivalry in the family, Elijah is the
acknowledged overall speed winner, but
Ruby and Noah split the difference in
second, with Ruby faster than Noah over
long distance, while Noah claims victory
in the sprints.
Aside from alove for water, the
Rangiora High School student says
lifeguarding drew her interest because
of the opportunities to meet people
while working.
Ruby has successfully completed her
Level 2StJohn course as part of her
training, and will complete the Pool
Lifeguard Skills Award training over the
coming months.
She says being able to keep acalm
head while reacting quickly to an
emergency is key to being alifeguard,
with her brothers both having assisted in
situations that, without the presence of a
skilled lifeguard, could have been really
bad.
Hurunui District Council’s customer
Lifesaver ... Ruby Beckdahl.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
services manager Naomi Woodham says
she is thrilled to have astrong team of
three returning lifeguards, and six new
recruits in training ahead of the public
opening of the pools new season on
Saturday, October 21.
‘‘Lifeguarding is agreat career path,
especially for students or retirees, as
there is aflexible roster and all the
training is provided, plus we help our
lifeguards achieve their Pool Lifeguard
Practising Certificate (PLPC).’’
Ruby is looking forward to the opening
of the pool this month so she can bring
all her new skills into use including
administrative skills helping with the
pools timetables.
With arange of activities at the pool,
including Learn to Swim, Aquafit and
Toddlers Sing and Splash, Ruby will be
helping to keep things running smoothly.
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