Levin Volunteer Fire Brigade strengthens with new officers; workers attend over 500 callouts in year

(From left): Levin Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Terrence Griffen, station officer Chris Farnell, operational support station officer Ian Ireland, station officer Rhys Ellis, chief fire officer Chris Kennedy, operational support officer Linda Johnstone, station officer Carl Trask and station officer Rachelle Stout.

It’s been a big year for the Levin Volunteer Fire Brigade, said chief fire officer Chris Kennedy.

Over the past 12 months, the station has had 10 new officers join and a further three are in the process of joining the brigade.

“The brigade is nearly back to full establishment. We’re lucky to have strong voluntary numbers in Levin because, without the people, it wouldn’t be possible. We’re a composite brigade, so we have paid staff who work Monday to Friday, 7am to 5.30pm, then our volunteers assist during this time and cover weeknights, weekends and public holidays.”

He said rebuilding the brigade back to strong numbers has been a two-year process.

“Two years ago we had two volunteer officers, and now we’re back to eight. That’s a huge amount of work from our officers as they have to pass the pre-course, training and then the course itself. It’s a lot of dedication, and these officers have done great.“

Kennedy said the brigade’s success is thanks to the hard work of its members,

“It’s a big commitment and we’re thankful for what they do.”

Over the past 12 months, the brigade has responded to over 500 callouts, he said.

“We’ve had some significant callouts that have been quite lengthy.”

Kennedy said it’s important to acknowledge firefighters' families for the support they give.

“I want to thank all the people involved in the brigade and the families at home who are understanding and patient with these firefighters. For every one who turns up, there’s someone at home keeping things ticking along there so they can show up.”

While the brigade is almost fullly established, he said they are always looking for members.

“If you’d like to join, jump on the Fire and Emergency website to learn more.”