Stand-alone status for Clutha Valley brigade

The Clutha Valley volunteer fire brigade will operate as an independent station, having broken away as an auxiliary of the Balclutha brigade.

Clutha brigade spokesman Richard Hunter, who will become deputy fire officer as a result of the station’s stand-alone status, said it had been working towards the move for the past five or six years.

It had been made possible because of the amalgamation of urban and rural firefighting, under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand in July last year.

The Clutha Valley brigade started in 1977 and has maintained a steady core base of 14-15 members.

It attended about 30 callouts in the past year.

‘‘We’ve always been working towards this and it’s finally come about. It’s good for everyone, and good for the sustainability of the brigade.’’

Not much will change except it will have its own chief fire officer, who will be John Keey, with Hunter as deputy, Paul Gouman as senior station officer and Leonard Cunningham as station officer.

Under Fire and Emergency NZ, all brigades still work in together on larger callouts, and Clutha Valley will keep its truck – urban status. ‘‘We’ll continue to operate in the same way but we’ll get white hats and new epaulets.’’

Fire and Emergency NZ is in the process of a nationwide consultation with members about a new unified uniform.