The new $1.3 million fire station built for the Cavalli Fire Brigade at Matauri Bay has been completed.
The new $1.3 million fire station built for the Cavalli Fire Brigade at Matauri Bay has been completed.
Almost $2 million has been spent on two Far North fire stations, work the Government says will be a boost for regional economies and a key emergency service operation.
A new fire station for the Cavalli Fire Brigade at Matauri Bay has recently been completed at a cost of $1.3m, while an upgrade of Ōkaihau Volunteer Fire Brigade’s station cost a further $600,000.
The work was among a tranche of construction work or upgrades to 26 fire stations across the country, with Minister of Internal Affairs Barbara Edmonds saying communities around New Zealand are now safer.
Edmonds said the works provided a boost for regional economies and a key emergency service, and the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund put up $51.3m for the station works.
“Fire and Emergency New Zealand play a critical role in keeping communities safe. In order to do so, firefighters need a base that is resilient, functional and fit-for-purpose,” Edmonds said.
The Cavalli brigade was established in 1997 after a caravan fire in the area that killed several children. The station was set up in a farm shed. However, this was returned to the land owners upon the formation of Fire and Emergency in 2017.
Since that time, the brigade has stored its gear in two shipping containers, with the brigade fire appliance stored in a shed two kilometres away. This set-up impacted on incident response times and did not provide a safe, secure environment for the brigade.
The new station is a key piece of local resilience infrastructure, as the land in the area has a high risk of wildfires and requires a local brigade with strong wildfire suppression capabilities. The community is also isolated and easily cut off from nearby towns.
Features of the new station include: an appliance bay; personal protective equipment lockers and storage space; a kitchen and office; a training room; and accessible ablutions that can also be made available for public use.
There is also a secure yard with parking; appliance wash and recommissioning facilities; breathing apparatus storage and provision for resilient power supply - a mobile generator.
Health and safety features of the station include: an operational equipment decontamination wash; a transitional firefighter decontamination shower; and on-site laundry to ensure contaminated clothing is not taken home.
It was built to the National Building Standards Importance Level 4 (IL4) seismic standard. This includes the use of higher-grade materials, such as concrete and steel, to strengthen the building.
Ōkaihau Volunteer Fire Brigade’s station has been upgraded at a cost of $600,000.
The existing Ōkaihau Fire Station was built in the 1990s, but due to the growing population in the region, was no longer fit for purpose.
The station no longer met Fire and Emergency design guidelines and there were issues with the lack of ablution and decontamination facilities and restricted and inadequate operational areas, resulting in issues with safe and efficient vehicle and people access.
As small parts of the existing structure were structurally sound, it was decided an extension and refurbishment to the existing station was the most appropriate approach to resolving the decontamination and space restriction issues.
Ōkaihau is a semi-isolated community that is easily cut off from the nearest town, Kaikohe, when a major emergency occurs, and the station is a key local resilience infrastructure facility.
Features of the refurbished station include: one appliance bay; a training room; kitchen and ablution facilities; an operational control room; a meeting room; an equipment storage area and decontamination and PPE locker facilities.
