Fired up over siren abuse
Anyone unfamiliar with provincial fire station sirens might be forgiven for thinking they’re under attack from the Luftwaffe during the Blitz when the call goes out.
Some Carterton residents have been voicing their expletive-laden frustration at the siren’s call to man the pumps, but they were subject to a swift community online backlash in support of their local brigade.
On its Facebook page, the Carterton volunteer fire brigade posted a screenshot of a text message they received abusing the station for ‘‘excessive’’ use of the siren.
The brigade made no apology for their hailing system, but said the weekend’s irate message was just one of many they had received during the past month.
‘‘Tonight we have received yet another negative message from a lovely Carterton resident – we take all these negative messages on the chin.
‘‘However we would like to remind the community that we make no excuses for the siren going! This is an approved emergency tool.’’
The brigade members said they were sure if this person were in trouble, they would welcome the sound of its siren.
Former Carterton mayor and current brigade volunteer John Booth described the abusive messages over the siren as pathetic. ‘‘It’s unbelievable that someone can be so narrow-minded and self-centred.’’
He said they made an effort not to use the siren at night when people were sleeping but it was important as a backup if other systems failed.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand area manager Gavin Dunphy said they understood some residents’ concerns with siren use at Carterton fire station.
‘‘In an environment where every second counts, using sirens along with other methods helps ensure a prompt response to emergencies.’’
Dunphy said volunteer fire brigades were a large part of their response capability and sirens were one of several ways to alert members to an emergency.
Around 370 stations continued to use sirens, but generally during the day, before changing to a personal
‘‘It’s unbelievable that someone can be so narrow-minded and self-centred.’’ John Booth former Carterton mayor and current brigade volunteer, left
alert system in the evening and early morning.
The Carterton brigade’s social media post highlighting the abusive response to the siren generated a flood of comments from local residents – generally in support of the use of the alarm.
Carterton resident Robyn CherryCampbell was one of many who were disturbed the brigade should be abused because of the siren.
‘‘Reading a comment like that is really hurtful. People don’t realise just how much our volunteers do for us and especially the fire brigade. The siren goes off and they drop everything . . . and they’re off to save lives put out a fire and they’re there to keep us safe.’’
Her reaction to hearing the siren was more of concern than annoyance.
‘‘Your immediate reaction is ‘oh no, I hope everyone’s OK’ and we then know the best help is on its way.’’
She said the siren was not just to let the volunteers know there was an emergency but also to alert traffic that emergency services are in action.