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Firefighters Delighted with New Engine

17/12/2012

Years of hard work and fundraising by Lake Okareka's rural fire fighters is over now they have their "dream machine" - a new fire engine.

Lake Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Force chief fire officer Phil Muldoon said their 33-year-old Dodge RG15 fire truck was struggling to keep up and needed urgent replacement. However, a new truck was not cheap so the team set about fundraising to buy their "dream machine", a Fraser Type 34 Heavy Pumper, built by Fraser Engineering in Wellington, which cost about $360,000.

Mr Muldoon said his team was slightly different from other rural fire forces because they needed a machine that could transport its own water and receive water from fire hydrants. He said the 18 volunteer fire fighters service about 500 people in Lake Okareka and surrounding areas and attended call-outs ranging from car crashes to road blockages and, of course, fires.

"A total of $364,000.00 has been raised through the efforts of the Lake Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Force. Particular acknowledgement must go to Kierin Oppatt for his hard work and dedication.

"Special thanks to Tony Shorland from Shorland Isuzu who assisted with the purchase of a new Isuzu cab and chassis.

"Thanks to Martin Simpson and Rob Walker from Fraser Engineering in Wellington for their assistance with design requirements and undertaking the fit-out."

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Cash Converts to 'Dream' Fire Truck

6/12/2012

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A $10,000 grant has been awarded to Lake Okareka Fire Force towards its new rural "dream machine" fire truck.

The grant was announced as part of Bay of Plenty Community Trust's quarterly funding round, in which about $34,400 was awarded to community groups in the Rotorua region.

Senior firefighter Kierin Oppatt said the grant would go towards the Fraser SA Type 34 heavy pump fire truck, described as the organisation's "dream machine" because it was suitable for urban and rural firefighting.

"It means we can finally replace the 1979 Dodge fire truck, which was on its last legs and needed urgent replacement," Mr Oppatt said.

"The pumper has been used in Australia for 30 years, but we are the first to have this specialist fire fighting appliance in New Zealand."

Lake Okareka was the first response for emergency incidents in the community and surrounding area of about 500 residents.

Among other organisations to receive support were:

Athratika Trust, which provides workshops and retreats for people with cancer, $7500 towards the costs of running an eight- day cancer healing and wellbeing residential retreat in Taupo.

Atua Awhi Community Charitable Trust, $2000 towards operating costs.
Growing Through Grief Rotorua, $2500 towards operating costs.
Hamurana Playcentre, $656 for Rotorua District Council sewerage charge.
Living Well Church Charitable Trust, $1000 towards Foodbank expenses.
Mamaku Playcentre, $805 to repair the sandpit matting.
Rotorua Lakeside Concert Trust, $7000 towards the Lakeside Concert 2013.
Salvation Army Rotorua, $2000 towards Foodbank expenses.
Murupara's Te Awhina Support Services, $1000 towards Foodbank expenses.

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Hoax Call Infuriates Rescuers

3/12/2012

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A hoax caller who rang 111 and said someone had drowned at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) caused emergency services to put themselves and others at risk as they rushed to the scene and took their attention away from legitimate callouts.

A call was made from a public phone at Tikitapu about 2pm yesterday. The caller, who sounded like a child aged between 10-14, said someone had drowned at the waka ama regatta at the popular lake near Rotorua.

Sergeant Chris McLeod said about seven police officers and St John ambulance staff rushed to the lake. Rotorua Coastguard also started preparing.

However, when they got to Tikitapu, no one knew anything about the accident, Mr McLeod said.

Officers asked several people before heading to all other lakes in the area, on the off-chance the caller had the location wrong.

He said police officers spent about an hour checking popular swimming areas at Lake Okareka and Lake Tawera, asking anyone they could find if they knew any thing about a drowning.

"It took us away from trying to catch burglars and people stealing from cars, not to mention keeping people on our highways safe, which was a real concern at the weekend with all the fatal crashes in the North Island.''

Mr McLeod said once all the options had been exhausted, emergency services were stood down and they turned to finding who was responsible for the call.

"As far as we know, it was a young person playing on the public phone outside the Blue Lake Holiday Park.''

Mr McLeod said the callout was infuriating as they believed they had a real serious situation.

"We put a number of people at risk _ police officers, search and rescue, St John people.

"They have all had to travel at speed to the location to minimise any risk of a possible drowning.''

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Firefighters to Late to Save House

3/12/2012

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A house has been destroyed in a fire near Rotorua.

The house, on Maniatutu Rd near Okere Falls, caught fire in the early hours of Saturday morning but firefighters said it appeared no one was inside.

Rotorua Fire Service senior station officer Jim Prescott said a call was received from a member of the public just before 5am.

He said the house was fully alight by the time firefighters arrived. Once the fire was put out, only a chimney was left standing.

Fire crews were delayed getting to the fire as they had great difficulty getting their trucks down the driveway.

Mr Prescott reminded rural residents to ensure their driveways were clear of foliage to enable fire trucks and ambulances to get to them if needed.

"Rural people should also make sure there is adequate water for firefighters and they must make sure they have smoke detectors as they are the first source of notification for rural residents. Without neighbours around, they really need to be self-reliant."

It is not known if anyone lived at the house.

Mr Prescott said the cause of the fire was still to be determined.

Saturday's fire follows a suspicious blaze which badly damaged an empty house on Friday. The house on Bennetts Rd, Koutu, caught fire about 5.55pm. The house, which didn't have any power connected, was well alight when firefighters arrived.

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