Fire unit needs you in Turangi
A house fire in Turangi on Monday has left Turangi Volunteer Firefighters asking for help to keep up with demand.
It is the tenth house fire the brigade has attended in the last 10 months.
The latest fire occurred at 9.51am on Monday at a Rangipoia Pl house and saw crews from Turangi and Taupo attend.
‘‘The fire was well involved when we arrived,’’ Turangi Volunteer Brigade Chief Tangonui Kingi said.
‘‘The residents - a man and his dog - were outside when we arrived.’’
Kingi said the house suffered significant damage during the fire.
Over the last 10 months Turangi Volunteer Firefighters have attended eight house fires as well as one kitchen fire and one sleep out fire.
‘‘Luckily no one has been hurt in any of these fires,’’ Kingi said.
While the brigade has been lucky, Kingi was concerned about the effect fighting so many fires was having on his team of loyal volunteers.
The recent fire has forced him to put out an appeal for more residents to join the brigade.
‘‘We just don’t appear to be having much down time at the moment,’’ he said.
‘‘The brigade operates with 23 volunteers and we can accommodate 28.
‘‘Ideally we would like to find another five fire fighters who can assist us during the day shift. That will allow us, once they are all trained, to give some of our guys a breather.’’
Kingi said front line firefighters were not the only positions they had available at the brigade and they welcomed all volunteers.
‘‘We also need operational staff and support staff to assist firefighters and also help deliver fire safety programmes.
‘‘These staff support the firefighters in the trucks and help make life easier.’’
Kingi said the best way to volunteer was to make contact with the Turangi Fire Brigade and book in a time to discuss the different roles available.
‘‘We will profile everyone and see what roles are best suited for them,’’ he said.
Volunteers need about 6-8 months’ training before they can help with house fires.
Kingi can be contacted on 021 2533 343.