WAITATI VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE

By Deanne Burrell

During the weekend of 11-13 March the Dunedin Fire Brigade will be
celebrating its 150th year of operation. There will be events held on
11, 12 and 13 March centred around the Central Fire Station to allow
members past and present to celebrate this significant occasion
together with the community.

On the Saturday between 1 and 4pm a public open afternoon will be held
with constant entertainment involving action, technology and fire
safety displays. On Sunday at 9.30am a street parade will be held
commencing at the Octagon and moving to First Church, followed by a
public church service.

As Waitati was part of the original Dunedin Fire Brigade our members
are looking forward to joining in the celebrations and hope that many
members of the Blueskin Bay community will take the opportunity to
attend the public open afternoon or the street parade.

Recently a motor vehicle accident course was held at our station,
where members were able to refresh their skills and also get hands-on
experience at extinguishing a motor vehicle fire. Also, last month a
breathing apparatus training night was held at the Waitati School.
This gave our members a chance to experience what it is like to be in
a smoke-filled building. We would like to thank Reilly's Towage &
Salvage for providing and disposing of the vehicle for the MVA Course,
and Waitati School for the use of one of their buildings. Your
support is very much appreciated.

Our members are continually refreshing their skills and also
participating in courses to further their knowledge and complete
practical training. We would like to congratulate the following, who
have been awarded certificates for completing the next stage of their
training programmes.

Recruits' Programme: Sharon Brogan, Bill Berends, Will Shaw and Seraya Figgins
Qualified Fire Fighters' Programme: Brent Bell, Keith Templeton,
Charles Abraham and Deanne Burrell.

As winter is just around the corner (although I'm still waiting for
summer!) now would be a good time to start thinking about getting
chimneys or flues cleaned as these are often one of the most common
causes of fires in winter. Also, don't forget to regularly check
smoke alarms and replace batteries where needed.

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