• Two new trucks for Haumoana fire brigade a rare event

Two new trucks for Haumoana fire brigade a rare event

In what has been labeled a "rare event", the Haumoana Volunteer Fire Brigade has taken delivery of not one but two brand new trucks - a fire appliance and a tanker. 

At the handover last week, Fire and Emergency New Zealand Area Manager, Ken Cooper told current and past brigade members that there had been a concerted effort from many people to simultaneously have the two vehicles fitted out and training complete. 

Members of the local community joined with the 21-strong Haumoana Brigade, the Hastings fire station Brown Watch firefighters, at a blessing of the trucks by local kaumatua, Brown Wiki.

The new Iveco fire appliance replaces an older Iveco that Haumoana received in 2010. It is fully equipped with the gear needed for the range of incidents the local brigade responds to including medical events, motor vehicle accidents, vegetation, and structure fires.

In anticipation of the handover, nine firefighters completed pump operation and driver training and will be upskilling their colleagues in the coming weeks.

The new Hino tanker holds 5800 litres of water and is used on calls to unreticulated areas in the surrounding countryside. It also turns out for fires across the wider Hawke’s Bay district.

The new trucks are part of Fire and Emergency New Zealand's replacement programme for fire appliances. Cooper said the previous tanker was coming to the end of its life and while they had advocated for a replacement, they "didn't think" it was actually going to happen.

"It is determined by how busy the brigade is and the risks in that brigade's area so it just so happened that it has fallen nicely that we have been able to supply two new appliances to Haumoana at the same time, which is quite a rare occurrence that it's happened together," he said.

"For us, it is about having the right resource in the right place at the right time. Hawke's Bay summers are getting hotter and the incidents are getting longer in duration so this gives the volunteers the tools they need to be able to serve the community," he said.

It comes as the Haumoana brigade prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary next year.

Cooper acknowledged that Haumoana was consistently one of the top-performing brigades in the region with Hawke’s Bay being a top-performing Area nationally on aspects such as call-out response times, health and safety, training, and other operational skills.

“The camaraderie evident in this brigade and the support of locals make it a real asset to FENZ and to the local community,” he said.

Haumoana Senior Station Officer, Graham Arthur says his members are delighted with the new trucks and keen to put them through their paces.

“Although no one wants to be first to scratch the pristine paintwork." 

Tags