Firefighters target schools for recruits

A Northland fire brigade has gone back to school to attract new blood to combat a dire shortage of volunteer firefighters.

Northland Fire Service volunteer support officer Colin Kitchen said volunteer numbers in Northland had fallen to their most critical level in 10 years - potentially putting lives and property at risk.

Kaikohe station found itself struggling with about nine members down.

Chief Fire Officer Bill Hutchinson said major problems staffing daytime shifts meant the brigade could turn out only one crew of five people during working hours Monday to Friday. "I don't want to get into the situation where we fail to get to an accident or fire on time and someone dies before people acknowledge we have a problem."

Kaikohe brigade's recruiting officer, Andrew Meale, said the situation had called for a pro-active approach starting with attracting senior students at schools.

Following seminars at Te Kura Kaupapa o Maori Kaikohe and Northland College, at least a dozen students - mostly from the kura - attended an open night at the station last week for more information.

"Because New Zealand Fire Service is NZQA-approved the qualifications they achieve [as a volunteer firefighter] are another feather in their cap," Mr Meale said.

Fire Service training could include help in passing first aid certificates and heavy transport licences. Firefighters had to be at least 16 years old and have passed initial training before they were allowed out on jobs, Mr Meale said.

"If we turned up to a really nasty car crash they're more likely to be directing traffic rather than cutting people out of cars," he said. "It's in their best interest as well as ours to keep an eye on not over-exposing them to things like that too soon.

"If we thought they weren't ready for it mentally and physically we'd probably tell them to come back in a year or so."

Mr Meale said the community recruiting drive had also drawn about seven applications from other sources. The brigade is planning a recruitment seminar soon with the 210-odd wardens due to start work at the new Ngawha prison.

- NZPA