Waimea Rural Fire Authority Training Day

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2085

Practice makes perfect which is why local volunteer fire fighters were out on a very wet Sunday, practicing their skills with a scenario based training day.

The Waimea Rural Fire Authority led event was put on for both the Rural Volunteer Fire Forces and New Zealand Fire Service Brigades, serving as a refresher for most and as an educational experience for those new to firefighting. Held at a skid site up Quail Valley Rd, it was also the perfect opportunity for fire crew members to catch up before the dry season gets underway and the call outs increase.

Crews from Hira, Appleby, Brightwater, Ngatimoti, Motueka and Mapua attended the training day, although numbers were down on other years due to the miserable weather while others were busy responding to call outs.

The day began with a talk from Toby Reid of Reid Helicopters who discussed how to operate safely around a helicopter before the fire fighters took a hands-on approach, taking turns in groups to fill the monsoon bucket.

The training day also included two other scenarios, a house fire and mobile methamphetamine lab, although nothing was set alight.