Fires' ferocity frightening

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 294, 11 July 1989, Page 6

Fires' ferocity frightening

Ohakune Fire Brigade Deputy Chief Ben Goddard won't forget in a long while his weekend fighting fires in New Plymouth.

Mr Goddard was one of three officers from Ohakune's Volunteer Fire Brigade to attend a weekend training seminar at the New Zealand

Fire Service's training college. Station Officers Richard Hemara and Kevin Munn also attended the course. The men were ac-

commodated at the Taranaki Country Lodge, with expenses paid by the N.Z.F.S. Fourteen fire officers from stations around the North Island took part in the course designed to teach firemen the correct technique for fighting compressed gas fires. Mr Goddard said the course was very comprehensive and professionally undertaken, with resident' instructors taking every precaution to ensure the safety and comfort of the trainee officers. Trainees dealt with 'uncontrolled' blazes, which could be instantly extinguished by switching off a safety

valve if the situation called for it. Trainees were taught the correct procedure for dealing with fires fueled by Liquid Petroleum Gas or Compressed Natural Gas, by driving the flames away from the source in order to shut it down, rather than attempting to extinguish the flames, Mr Goddard said at times, the controlled situations were frightening in their ferocity. The Ohakune men were presented with certificates upon completing the course, enabling them to demonstrate the technique to the rest of the brigade at a later date.