Motueka Volunteer Fire Brigade opened its doors to the public on Sunday to spark community knowledge of fire safety and the emergency service code’s operations.
While the periodic rain may have doused burning desires for some to rush to the scene on High St, chief fire officer Mike Riddell says the car cutting demonstration, sausage sizzle, and firefighting appliances and equipment displays were well received, and he thanked the community for their response.
“Anything that we can get into the community that helps them be further prepared so we don’t become the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff is good for us,” he says.
“The less time we have to do anything, the more time we can spend training
Mike implored his community to check or install smoke alarms after a fatal house fire over the weekend in Rakaia. Early indications by Fire and Emergency NZ at that scene suggested there were no smoke alarms in the home.
“[The community] need to put their effort on smoke alarms… we come across houses that don’t have smoke alarms or are poorly maintained or have no batteries,” he says. “You really need the early warning when you’re asleep, no two ways about it, smoke alarms save lives.
“We’re actively engaged in what we call home fire safety visits all the time, so anybody that has any issues or is not sure about their smoke alarms, whether they’re fit for purpose or in the right places, then just give us a ring, or get online and follow the website.”
