New gear for Army brigade

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 412, 12 November 1991, Page 3

New gear for Army brigade

Waiouru's fire service considers itself the most sophisticated of its kind in New Zealand after the purchase of over $35,000 worth of new rescue equipment. The Zumbro rescue equipment is the most comprehensive range of rescue equipment available, as it includes heavy duty spreaders otherwise known as the Jaws of Life; two sets of cutters, rams and lightweight Powerpak spreaders. The rescue equipment is considered an essential part of the Army's fire-fighting rescue team. Apart from the Waiouru housing area, treacherous Desert Road and hundreds of square kilometres of Army training area, the Waiouru Fire Service acts as a back-up for Ohakune, Raetihi, the area governed by the Ruapehu District Council, and Turangi. To cover such a large area the fire fighting team has eight vehicles. A Dodge vehicle covers the airfields, three rural tankers with monsoon buckets cover the Army training area, an International and two Scania vehicles cover the motor vehicle and domestic fire incidents, and a command vehicle. The 19 fire fighters of Waiouru are assisted by 17 volunteers, three of whom are women. The fire-fighting team are highly trained, continu-

ally attending courses to improve their knowledge of chemistry and physics. "The fire-fighting service was once a laborious trade, now it is a technical trade", said firemaster John Sparks. "Potent chemicals being transported on our roads causes great concem to us all. In case of a chemical spillage the team have to know the correct combination of elements to be able to dilute the spill without causing further damage to the environment", he said. The Waiouru Fire Service is very pleased that their equipment, which has been in place for a few weeks, has not yet been fully tested. They say the Black Spot campaign on television is obviously working, and hope that people will continue to be more careful on the roads.