Emergency services team up to meet demand for crewmen

PARTNER: The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter and Rotorua Fire Brigade have joined forces. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

A sudden demand for rescue helicopter crewmen has resulted in a partnership with another emergency service.

The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter has teamed up with the Rotorua Fire Brigade to ensure there is a qualified crewman available whenever the helicopter is called out.

Around 10 months ago two experienced crewmen stepped down from the voluntary position and base manager Barry Vincent decided to approach the brigade to see if they could work together.

"We had an excellent run of our volunteers but it's a big commitment on their families and their business lives," Mr Vincent said.

"When you're going out at 2am you've got to know and trust the person you're going out with. The skills they have are similar but it's a different platform."

He said he approached the Rotorua Fire Brigade with the idea and was met with a positive response.

The partnership has worked in other areas of the country and it "made sense" for the two emergency services, said Central Lakes Assistant Area Commander Hamish Smith.

"Quite often we're responding to the same jobs," he said. "I was a crewman in Hawkes Bay and I knew exactly what Barry was after and how it would work."

He said the partnership had led to the other firefighters having a greater idea of what the rescue helicopter needed so they approached scenes with a view for potential landing spots.

Mr Vincent said he was overwhelmed with the response, with around 12 applications for four positions. There is one qualified crewman per rostered shift.

Whenever there is a helicopter callout they head to the hangar and an off-duty firefighter is called upon to fill the gap.

"Our immediate perspective is that if you can work with other agencies that provide safer communities then collectively we will have a safer community," said Central Lakes Area Commander Graham Fuller.

He said the partnership was part of the vision for the future and "how we see the fire service working with our communities".