Actor’s new role has serious message
When Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) were looking to cast an actor to front their current safety campaign they found one of their own.
Whanganui-born Aaron Jackson is both an Auckland senior firefighter and an experienced actor, so he was the obvious choice.
“I didn’t have to dig very deep for this role because I was playing myself,” Jackson said.
“On the other hand, it conveys the really hard aspects of being a firefighter which means I had to portray some tough personal experience.
“When I read the script I could see that there was no skimping on reality – it is a very real script.”
Jackson, who grew up in Castlecliff, has played a number of film and TV roles including a small part in the Hollywood fantasy movie Pete’s Dragon. He was also the Shortland Street arch-villain of 2016 but his latest role has special meaning.
The TV ad follows Jackson in the aftermath of a fatal house fire and FENZ national adviser on fire risk management Pete Gallagher said the message is a deliberately strong one.
“Legislation can only do so much — we need to send strong messages about what people need to do to minimise risk and have plans in place to get themselves out if they have a house fire,” Gallagher said.
“A third of the house fires we were called to last year did not have smoke alarms installed.”
The ad contains the message that firefighters don’t like fire movies because they make people think they’ve seen house fires. But they haven’t.
“The anecdotal evidence tells us that the lighting and effects in movies give the impression that people will be able to see where they are going — they won’t,” said Gallagher. “The ad shares the information that firefighters have found scratch marks on wardrobe doors because they been mistaken for external exit doors during house fires.”
Having experienced the chilling realities, Jackson said he is hypervigilant in his own home. As the father of a 1-year-old and a 2-yearold, he involves his little ones in fire risk prevention at home.
“We check the smoke alarms together and they enjoy blocking their ears when I test them.
“I make it fun because they’re so little but I’m teaching them how to get out of every room in the house if there’s a fire. A working smoke alarm provides the alert and every household should have an escape plan because it will save lives.”
Whanganui fire chief Gary Ward echoes the importance of the message and recommends checking smoke alarms once a month by pushing the button.
“Fire gets real, fast, and becomes deadly within three minutes,” he said. “Having a working smoke alarm gives you an early warning of fire so that you and your loved ones can get out safely and have an escape plan.
“Fire is disorienting and the thick black smoke makes it hard to see, hear and think. An escape plan gives you the best chance of getting out to safety quickly.”
Ward said a few recent fires in Whanganui appear to have been started by candles.
“Make sure you don’t leave candles burning unattended,” he said. “Put the candle out before walking away or leaving the house. Make sure any flammable materials are at least one metre away from candles, or any heat source, and keep candles, matches or lighters away from children.”
Ward said it is timely to remind everyone to have chimneys swept before using fireplaces for the first time this year and to make sure ashes are completely out and put in a metal bucket – they can stay hot for up to five days.
"I didn’t have to dig very deep for this role because I was playing myself." Aaron Jackson
● Information on making a house fire escape plan is available on the FENZ website escapemyhouse.co.nz.