Fighting fire with zeal to be the best

TOUGH WORK: Fraser Smith of the Carterton team in full flight.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Sprinting with a heavy fire hose is no easy feat but Carterton firefighters are proving they're not too bad at it.

The A and B Carterton Fire Brigade teams came first and second, respectively, at the Wellington Provincial Fire Brigade Competition at Carrington Park in Carterton.

Seven of the nine competition events were won by the A team which has previously won the National fire fighting competition and the Australasian competition.

The competition uses elements of fire fighting practices in events such as climbing ladders, using fire extinguishers, drafting water out of a well, running out hoses and shooting targets with a hose.

Team Captain Blaine Smith said Carterton has a long history in firefighting going back 120 years and has always done well in firefighting competitions.

"In around the'20s or'30s fire fighting became strong [in Carterton] and has remained strong since," he said.

He puts the success in the region down to a strong sense of tradition and the fact that experienced competitors hand down their skills and enthusiasm for the contest onto younger competitors when they retire.

The Carterton A team includes Captain Blaine Smith, Michael Hicks, Steve Fennell and Joe Richardson and the B team includes Vaea Peterson, Kerry McGhie, Mike Wakefield and Jim Rodger. There is also a two-man team in Fraser Smith and Lance Graves.

Between the teams they have about 175 years of experience.

According to Mr Smith, the competition provides the public with better firefighters because all the equipment used for the competition is the real equipment they would use when they go out to fight fires.

"It [the competition] makes for better firefighters. It is better for the community because the skills are all transferable," he said.

One of the perks of the competition is keeping fit in the summer with both teams training twice a week.

"We treat it as a summer sport," Mr Smith said.

Carterton Fire Brigade has 27 volunteer members and handled 317 calls last year.