Rangiora top five in Australasia
Rangiora Volunteer Fire Brigade has placed among three New Zealand teams in the top five of the 2016 Australasian Rescue Challenge.
The challenge took place in Warragul, near Melbourne, last weekend when 17 teams went head-to-head to practice their response to the scene of a vehicle accident.
Each was judged on their response to a two-person ’’controlled event’’ and a team event, as well as other aspects such as the team’s leadership.
Teams from Rangiora, Geraldine and Rolleston were the only New Zealand sides to compete against 14 from Australia and one from Hong Kong, with Geraldine taking the top spot, Rolleston taking fourth and Rangiora fifth overall.
Rangiora also placed third in the controlled rescue, fourth in technical, tenth in medical and team leader Peter Helps placed second for his coordinating abilities.
Team manager Don Joblin said all teams were friendly while taking part and after competing ‘‘we were buzzing’’.
‘‘We hoped to finish in the top six placings because we hadn’t been in an Australasian championship before, and we actually got in the top five. So, we’re very happy.’’
Joblin said the biggest challenge for the team was the controlled event, which had been the group’s ‘‘nemesis’’ in the past.
‘‘We have to remove two patients within 30 minutes, and we actually did that . . . we’re pretty chuffed about that and we’re pretty chuffed about our team leader getting second as well.
He said the whole team worked together and deserved the credit, but Helps was ‘‘a bloody good team leader’’.
‘‘The team leader’s not allowed to do anything [hands-on], except he’s got to decide what they’re going to do to get the people out of the car and then direct the boys .’’
The Australasian event com- prised of challenges involving extracting ‘‘patients’’ from crashed vehicles, replicating what firefighters could face during emergency call outs.
It was organised by Australian Road Rescue Operation. All three New Zealand teams were sponsored by the United Fire Brigades Association of New Zealand to attend.
Road crash teams consisted of six members.