How things have changed

For the next month so or so my column will take you on a 50-yearplus journey of my time as a volunteer with the Kaitaia Volunteer Fire Brigade, and how things have evolved over that time.

It was 1968 when I first pulled on my firefighters’ uniform, a raw 17-year-old recruit. Membership at the time consisted of 25 middle class Caucasians with a business background. The executive officers were Doug Archibald, Brian Shutt, Marsden Jones and Pat Paterson, who all owned businesses in the main street of Kaitaia. In my first year there were 35 call-outs.

Of those 25 original members, 16 are now deceased, and I am the only one still actively serving. The brigade roll currently sits at 35, made up of 26 men and nine women, with a 50-50 split between Caucasians and other ethnicities. The membership now mirrors the demographics of the Far North.

Callouts continue to increase annually, to more than 400 last year. The number of calls is now starting to put pressure on the team, their families, their employers, and last but not least the self-employed volunteers. Maybe it is time to put full-time daytime manning into the station.

When I joined the brigade’s fleet consisted of a 1956 Ford V8 truck, a 1967 open-back TK Bedford and a 1960 short-wheel-based Landrover. Twentythree fire trucks later, the fleet now consists of a 2019 Iveco pumping appliance, a 2018 Iveco rescue tender, a 2002 Mitsubishi pumping appliance, a Hino water tanker and a 12-seater Toyota van. These modern, state of the art appliances have a combined value close to $1 million.

And how firefighters’ protective clothing has changed over the years. When I joined, woollen double-breasted lancer jackets and trousers, leather boots and plastic helmets were the norm. Protective clothing continued to change over time, and eight different uniforms later we now have three levels.

Level 1 consists of a lightweight helmet, a pair of coveralls, a pair of general purpose boots and gloves, mainly used for scrub and vegetation fires, medical events and motor vehicle accidents. Level 2 consists of a bunker coat and trousers with four layers of protective lining, a flashhood that covers your face, three-layered gloves, a helmet with a pull-down face shield and gumboots, worn at structure fires, car fires etc.

Level 3s are purpose-made chemical suits, used at chemical incidents, particularly those involving P labs.

While the protection of our members is paramount, and we have to comply with the very strict health and safety rules, I believe that in some instances we have become overprotective. In the early days you knew when it was time to exit a fire. You would feel the extreme heat on your ears and neck, and at times your plastic helmet would start to melt.

With today’s protective clothing you sometimes get a false sense of security, and think you’re bullet-proof. This is not the case, and operational procedures are paramount in relation to personal safety.

"Maybe it is time to put full-time daytime manning into the station."