Brigade needs funds for new vehicle

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 428, 17 March 1992, Page 5

Brigade needs funds for new vehicle

More and more Ohakune Fire Brigade volunteers are greeted by the sight of crushed and entangled cars when they arrive at accident scenes. Fire fighters are equipped with fire appliances, hoses and general fire fighting gear. This won't help get seriously injured people out of mangled cars. The Ohakune Fire Brigade decided to do something about it and with the help of the people of the Waimarino undertook a massive fundraising effort to buy the right equipment. The New

Zealand Fire Service does not have the funds to provide the small country brigades with rescue equipment and most smaller brigades have been left to raise the money themselves. Thanks to community support the Ohakune Volunteer Brigade is probably one of the best equipped volunteer brigades in the country. With the funds raised they have purchased cutting and spreading gear, two port-a-power units, chainsaws, power hacksaw and block and tackle, all of which are used to cut trapped victims from vehicles. The

portable generator provides the power for this equipment, plus a set of lighting equipment for lighting accident scenes at night, A comprehensive first aid/rescue kit is also available. This is just some of the rescue gear that needs to be on the scene of an accident or possibly even at a

fire scene. Transport The brigade was then faced with the problem of transporting this essential and valuable equipment. "Up until recently we have been throwing it on an appliance as best we can, squeezing it in here and there but the

appliances aren't set up to carry this gear and it quickly gets knocked around, as do some of the fire fighters," said brigade volunteer Karen Hawke. The solution has been to purchase an "Emergency Vehicle". This vehicle is an Izuzu Fargo van, four wheel

drive, which is being set up especially to carry all the brigades rescue gear. Each piece of equipment will have a special place on the van so there is no chance of leaving any necessary gear behind, the gear won't get knocked around and every one will know exactly where to find the gear they need. The Emergency Vehicle will be set up and ready to leave the station as soon as an accident is confirmed, leaving the appliances to follow, so

valuable time won't be lost releasing and assisting the trapped and injured people at accident scenes. The Brigade needs the support to help fund the Emergency Vehicle and the Waimarino Lions have undertaken a fund raising project to accomplish this task. Should you wish to see the Waimarino's new Emergency Vehicle, it will be on display outside New World on Thursday 19 and Saturday 21 March.