Electrical company gifts heat pump to Coastguard Kāpiti communications centre

With a heat pump unit is, from left, Jason Tether (Coastguard Kāpiti), Wiri Kemp (Advance Electrical), Aman Shanker (Realcold NZ) and Peter Hill (Advance Electrical).

While co-ordinating a rescue or a valuable training exercise, personnel operating out of the Coastguard Kāpiti communications centre would often sweat in summer or shiver in winter.

But thanks to a donation of a brand new 7.4kW heat pump, the local volunteers and helpers can now carry out their lifesaving work in a bit of comfort. The Paraparaumu Beach-based comms centre works in with LandSAR and police.

When it became clear a heat pump was needed at the coastguard, locally owned and operated electrical wholesale business Advance Electrical was quick to hatch a plan to get that remedied.

“It was a no-brainer for us,” operations manager Wiri Kemp said.

“We have staff who are coastguard volunteers and plenty of local electricians who are boaties. Throwing in our support is the least we can do.”

A short phone call to the firm’s nationwide supplier Realcold NZ, which offered a Gree heat pump, and things were coming together nicely.

Kemp, from Advance Electrical, is also a qualified electrician and heat pump installer, so the installation was covered.

According to one coastguard volunteer, “There was literally no heating in the comms area before and to get any airflow in summer, it’s just one small window”.

“This is going to make a huge difference, especially when you just want to give all your attention to finding whoever’s out there needing our help.”

The heat pump can be turned on over WiFi before the volunteers get there.

Coastguard Kāpiti president Todd Spencer said the unit was very grateful for the support.

“We couldn’t do what we do on the Kāpiti Coast without the help and support from great people like the team at Advance and Realcold.”