Blog Archives - Lake Okareka Volunteer Fire Brigade

New Fire Station On The Cards

11/12/2014

It's still early days but the ball has finally begun to roll for a new Lake Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Station following a $250,000 grant from the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust.

Chief fire officer Philip Muldoon said the grant was the first drop in the well to replace the fire station built 33 years ago by the Okareka community.

"The cost of setting up a new building is high and the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust is the first trust we have applied to."

The current building does not have the facilities required and Mr Muldoon hoped to have a new station operating by this time next year, he said.

"It is something we sorely need. The existing station has no toilets and the office is inadequate.

"We have to pull the appliances [trucks] out to put our uniforms on and that definitely adds time on our response."

Mr Muldoon, who has been involved with the Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Force for 17 years, said they would build a larger building that could accommodate a civil defence meeting room and could be used by the community.

"The various appliances housed in it make a very small office. The lucky members get to fit at the table and the unlucky ones have to stand around," he said.

Mr Muldoon said he was surprised by the grant.

"It was a very pleasant surprise. We are quite involved in community events so it all sort of helps for the good of the community," he said.

The Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Force has 14 members but was always looking out for more, Mr Muldoon said.

To enquire about volunteering or to donate building supplies, contact Phil via www.facebook.com/OkarekaRuralFire.

Fire Warning for Rural Areas

10/12/2014

Rotorua's rural fire fighters are warning of the risk to property or even loss of life in rural areas if people fail to heed fire warnings.

The call for residents to take particular care in rural areas follows an earlier plea from the Rotorua Fire Service about fire risk in urban areas from barbecues, bonfires or carelessly discarded cigarette butts.

The Rotorua Lakes Council's rural fire team has had to respond to four vegetation fires in the last two weeks alone and there are concerns that weather conditions could result in more fires over summer.

Deputy principal rural fire officer, Richard Horn, is reminding all Rotorua residents of the requirement to obtain a fire permit before lighting any outside fire in rural areas, including barbecues or braziers unless they are gas fuelled.

"Of the four vegetation fires we've had to deal with recently, three of them had the potential to become much bigger and could have got out of hand.

Last Saturday we managed to contain one fire to just 2.5 hectares, but it was lucky that there weren't buildings on the property or the consequences could have been much more serious."

Mr Horn said there was a cost to the community to fight fires and there was also the possibility of other costs in terms of damage to property and farms. He said carelessly lit fires could also tie up resources that were needed elsewhere for more serious structure fires or vehicle accidents.

"Our enemy at the moment is the pattern of strong daily winds which tend to peak early to late afternoon. People need to be vigilant and very conscious of weather conditions before lighting any fire, no matter how small. All four of the recent fires could easily have been avoided if more care had been taken," he said.

Current restrictions mean a fire permit is required before any fire can be lit in rural areas around Rotorua district. There is no fee to apply for a permit, which can be issued by one of three rural fire authorities in the area.

For more information on fire permits or advice on safety with fires contact Rotorua Lakes Council on (07) 348 4199.

Scrub Fires Prompt Safety Call

9/12/2014

Rotorua residents are being urged to take extra care when lighting their barbecues, bonfires or cigarettes during the drier months, following a series of recent scrub fires.

Firefighters were called to a large scrub fire off Te Ngae Rd on Saturday, which ripped through a total of about 150m by 450m of bush.

Despite about 40 firefighters working for hours to contain the fire, many were called back to the site yesterday as the bush began to smoulder again.

Rotorua Fire Service senior station officer Cameron McEwen said because the area underneath the scrub was so dry, fire crews had to keep dousing the area with water to prevent the fire from reigniting.

There was a lot of long grass in the area and with the wind, the smallest of embers could ignite a fire, which could spread rapidly, he said.

There was another fire in the same area about a week earlier, which tore through about 80m by 30m of gorse.

While fire crews were still investigating the cause of Saturday's fire, Mr McEwen said it was a timely reminder for residents to take extra care when handling anything that could potentially start a fire.

The conditions are the moment were very dry and the region had been experiencing some strong winds, he said. Those two factors combined meant the risk of igniting a fire and it spreading was high.

"Even with the slightest bit of a wind and a few embers, a fire can spread, so it's important to be extra careful as we get into the drier season."

Mr McEwen said he advised people not to light bonfires and to be aware of the fire risk when handling anything with an ember, even cigarettes and butts.

"We have a lot of bush and forest around our beautiful lakes here in Rotorua. It doesn't take much for a fire to start in these areas and to spread, so we advise everyone to be extra careful."

Weatherman Brian Holden said the region hadn't seen any rain for more than a week. "There is a bit of rain forecast for later this week, but we don't know until we get it. It might not come."

Mr Holden said the dry start to December was a contrast to last month, which saw rain fall evenly throughout the month.

$7.5m to Major Local Projects

9/12/2014

ROTORUA organisations are set to receive $7.5million - mainly for building new facilities - as the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust dishes out its biggest round of grants in eight years.

The trust has announced 13 organisations in the Rotorua district will receive a share of the money, with grants ranging from $250,000 to $1.5million, for building projects.

The biggest winner is a proposed performing arts centre, which has been allocated $1.5million.

Overall elderly facilities received the biggest proportion of funding, securing $1.75million, with health facilities receiving $1.5million worth of funding.

Trust chairman Grahame Hall said the grants were a result of the trust's major capital project funding announcement earlier this year.

"We are pleased to reveal that $7.5million has been conditionally granted to 13 organisations whose capital projects bring a significant benefit to the wider community."

Mr Hall said the grants ranged from $250,000 to $1.5million, were spread across a wide array or sectors, and would primarily contribute towards building and facility development.

The selected projects were chosen from 31 expressions of interests, who sought grants worth $52million

"Given this significant volume of applications, which exceeds anything we've had in the past for major capital funding, trustees have been careful to prioritise the projects that we believe will provide maximum benefit to the Rotorua district community."

Mr Hall said exactly how the funding for a proposed performing arts centre would be spent hadn't yet been decided.

He said the Rotorua Lakes Council was preparing a business case on a proposal to turn the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre into a theatre facility, while the Rotorua Little Theatre and Rotorua Musical Theatre were also working on a business case for a proposed shared facility.

Both would be presenting to the trust early next year, when it would decide where the funding should go, he said.

The Order of St John will receive $750,000 towards a major rebuild of the St John Ambulance Station complex in Pererika St.

Rotorua Area Committee treasurer Todd Mountfort said the impending rebuild would result in a modern and purpose-built facility that would help St John be more operationally effective in the Rotorua community.

"We are incredibly grateful to the trust for this major boost to our fundraising requirements. We look forward to further support from the community in the short term to get the rebuild under way as soon as possible."

Rotorua District Riding for the Disabled trustee Jo-Anne La Grouw said its $500,000 funding boost meant it now had all the money needed to build its new $1.1million Olympic-sized covered equestrian arena.

The new indoor facility would allow it to operate year round.

Construction on the 6.8ha site in Ngongotaha was expected to start in February and be completed within about six months.

"It's wonderful news. It will definitely bring it all to fruition much quicker."

Rotorua Plunket community funding co-ordinator Angie Brierley said the $250,000 it received was a fantastic start towards its new centre which would include a day-stay option for new parents.

"It's amazing and very uplifting for everyone who has been involved," she said.

Plans for the new centre, which would see services offered expanded, are about to go for resource consent with work expected to start next year.

Since its inception 20 years ago the trust has granted $92.8million to organisations within the Rotorua district.

WHAT'S GETTING MONEY

- Partial funding has been granted towards the development of a performing arts centre: $1.5 million
- Lakes District Health Board, partial funding towards Rotorua Children's Health Centre: $750,000
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital Community Trust, partial funding towards the establishment of a new facility: $750,000
- Rotorua Community Hospice Trust, partial funding towards the development of a new facility: $750,000
- The Order of St John, partial funding towards a new building due to growth: $750,000
- Whare Aroha, partial funding towards a new aged care facility: $750,000
- Rotorua BMX Club, partial funding towards the establishment of a new BMX facility: $500,000
- Rotorua Riding for the Disabled, partial funding towards building an all-weather arena: $500,000
- Lake Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Force, partial funding towards building a new fire station: $250,000
- Mid Island Gym sports Inc, partial funding towards building extensions and equipment purchase: $250,000
- Older Persons Community Centre Trust, partial funding towards the expansion of its current facility: $250,000
- Progress Ngongotaha-Kokiri Ngongotaha Inc, partial funding towards a Community Centre for Ngongotaha: $250,000
- RNZ Plunket Society Lakes Area Inc, partial funding towards building a new building: $250,000

-See the Rotorua Daily Post over the coming weeks for more on these projects.

Community Praised for Giving Spirit

9/12/2014

The community is being praised following an overwhelming response to the Rotorua Daily Post and The Hits Food Drive for the Salvation Army.

Volunteers worked into the early hours of Tuesday morning and throughout the day to count the items collected after Monday's event, which saw dozens of volunteers hit the streets in three Rotorua suburbs to collect cans and other non-perishable food items.

A whopping 5777 items were collected across Ngongotaha, Western Heights and Springfield, surpassing last year's total of 5556 items and making it one of the most successful local food drives to date.

Western Heights donated the most cans, with 2297 items collected. Ngongotaha closely followed with 1892 items and Springfield collectors received 1588 items. More than $200 cash was also donated on the night.

Salvation Army Captain Amanda Martin said she was overwhelmed by the response.

" Even those people who might not have a lot, they still find something to give.

That just goes to show what a wonderful and kind community we live in."

She said it meant so much to have people donate goods or give their time to help collect items.

Dozens of eager volunteers, some from the Rotorua Daily Post, The Hits and the Salvation Army, put on their walking shoes and spent hours collecting goods on the humid Monday night, with staff from Smith City and Ritchies Coachlines providing vehicles to load food onto.

A group of students from Australia in the country on a youth programme also got involved along with councillors, including deputy mayor Dave Donaldson and mayor Steve Chadwick.

The Ngongotaha Volunteer Fire Brigade, Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force, The Rotorua Fire Service and Rotorua Operation Support Unit and the Sulphur City Motorcycle Club also joined the effort.

Salvation Army volunteer Larnie Murphy has been busy counting and sorted the food donated.

"I get a kick of seeing peoples' faces when they get the hampers, some of them get tears in their eyes and then I say 'no you're going to make me cry now'."

Rotorua Locals Rally to Support those in Need

8/12/2014

Dozens of volunteers hit the streets last night collecting cans and other non-perishable food items as part of the Rotorua Daily Post and The Hits Food Drive for the Salvation Army.

The Drive was held in three Rotorua suburbs, Ngongotaha, Western Heights and Springfield, and saw hundreds of families reach into their pantries to help out the needy in their community.

All the goods collected are donated to the Salvation Army foodbank, which helps families in need over the Christmas period.

Salvation Army Captain Brian Martin said it was a great night to get out there.

"Rotorua families are so keen to help others in their community, even if they don't have a lot to give themselves, they give what they can and know they will be making a difference for another family.

"The number of requests for Salvation Army hampers has been really high this year and so it's really great to see so many people get behind us and help out."

The drive had volunteers from the Rotorua Daily Post, The Hits, Ritchies Coachlines and Smiths City, with mayor Steve Chadwick and other councillors, along with plenty of others, helping out.

The Ngongotaha Volunteer Fire Brigade and Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force took their trucks to the streets, blaring their sirens and honking their horns, along with the Sulphur City Motorcycle Club, who revved their engines and drew the attention of curious onlookers.

Taliyah Roberts, 10, said it was her second year taking part in the food drive.

"I like doing it because it's fun and it feels good to help out people who don't have much at Christmas."

Taliyah said one of her favourite parts of the collection was meeting new people.

"I just love talking to people and finding out their story. The food drive is definitely something I would like to keep taking part in."

Chopper Fights Flames in Scrub Fire

6/12/2014

Firefighters worked into the night to contain a large scrub fire in a property off Te Ngae Rd at the weekend, which saw thick smoke reach more than 10 metres into the air.

Rotorua Fire Service Senior Station Officer Jim Prescott said firefighters were called to the large fire, which initially engulfed about 100sq m of scrub off Te Ngae Rd, near Cookson Rd, about 3.30pm on Saturday.

Mr Prescott said the fire spread rapidly, ripping through a total of about 150m by 450m of bush, so extra fire crews were called to help.

Five water tankers, five fire engines, a command unit, along with a helicopter with a monsoon bucket, had been used to get the fire under control.

Between 30-40 firefighters were on the ground working to contain the blaze, with many staying overnight to keep watch. There were a few buildings in the area and, while they were not evacuated, fire crews worked to protect them from the flames, Mr Prescott said.

Nearby residents Tim Jevon and his fiancee Jayne Woolley were the first to alert the Fire Service to the blaze.

They came home about 3.30pm and smelled smoke. Initially, Mr Jevon thought the smell was coming from somewhere in his house, until he stepped outside to see smoke pouring out from a neighbouring stretch of land.

"I could see this stream of thick smoke just billowing from the property. It was coming towards us, the ash too."

Mr Jevon said the smoke became thicker and soon he could see the flames.

"The flames were huge, they were at least 20ft tall, the smoke was even higher.

"I soon went from being caught up in all the excitement to thinking about packing up our possessions and throwing Jayne, who's torn a ligament, over my shoulder and fleeing to safety."

Luckily it didn't have to come to that, he said.

"I would hate to think what would have happened if we didn't come home when we did. We're quite far away from any neighbours and w are not sure anyone else would have called the Fire Service."

Mr Prescott said fire crews were investigating the cause of the fire.

The fire came just over a week after a bush fire in the same area, which tore through about 80m by 30m of gorse.

Another Scrub Fire Near Te Ngae Road

6/12/2014

UPDATED: Fire fighters worked for more than two hours to control a large fire near Te Ngae Rd this afternoon.

Northern fire communications shift manager Dallas Ramsay said fire crews were called to the large fire, which engulfed about 100m by 100m of scrub, near Te Ngae Rd, close to the State Highway 30 turn off about 3.30pm.

The fire was now under control.

She said about 40 fire fighters, along with several fire trucks and a helicopter had put out the blaze.

A witness said the fire came within about 100m to the edge of his property.

"The flames were about 10m high and the smoke was even higher. It was huge."

Earlier:

Ms Ramsay said three buildings in the area were at risk of catching fire and it is likely they have been evacuated as a precaution.

There were no reported injuries but an ambulance was at the scene for precaution.

A Rotorua Daily Post photographer at the scene said the fire looked like it got fairly close to the surrounding houses.

A helicopter with a monsoon bucket was working to get the fire under control, he said.