Thread: Welcome to the volly room

Hi Brads,

yep your right there are many brigades in NZ that are composite, (Vollies and Perms working out of the same station).

Im not trying to cause a shit fight here.

If you look below at my first post which is below, I was referring to specific stations.

Volunteers do a fantastic job, but there is always two sides to every story, if volly Fire Fighters didn't man Stations like Silverdale , Queenstown, Pukekohe and West Harbour etc the Fire Service would be forced to put in Career Staff. So in these specific cases these Vollys are actullay doing a disservice to their community....

Just look at the response times between a career staff and volunteer are drastically different.

Originally Posted by BRADS

I'm not sure about those ones, @stumpy might help us out.
I do no that Hastings and Masterton have one crew of permanents the rest is all volleys.
They are both big stations, Hastings has a rescue tender, command centre, and 3 or 4 trucks.


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matamata is one isn't it, one career and rest vollies??

Originally Posted by smidey

what are the risks that warrant career staff over vollies?

My understanding is the Fire Service has no policy that the will put a career staff over volly staff , it has more to do wether volly staff can man the station/appliance.

Otherwise why have places like Queenstown , Pukekohe , silverdale and west harbour not gone permanent? The population and properties warrant it.

As these places have population and properties comparable to other districts in nz that have permanent stations.

Originally Posted by Mohawk660

Sure , these stations I have mentioned have risks that warrant a Career Station ,due to the large numbers of people and property.

what do you mean by this is what i'm trying to understand?

what are the risks in those areas that warrant a career station over a volly station? just population?

Originally Posted by smidey

what do you mean by this is what i'm trying to understand?

what are the risks in those areas that warrant a career station over a volly station? just population?

As these places have population and properties comparable to other districts in nz that have permanent stations.

My understand from talking to management is that the Fire Service has no policy on career stations it has more to do with, wether vollies will or can man a station.

As the Fire Service wont pay for something if they can get it done for free.

the fire service is a chain of command, they can do what they like. they can either create a policy or just change it, it's their call.

To say the vollies are doing a disservice to their community by doing what they are sounds to me that you think it's their fault and they should know better.

It's all controlled from the top and based on what you have said the NZFS are putting costs before emergency response quality. Is that correct?

If NZFS wanted career staff on those sites they could/would make it happen when ever they want i think

just calm down, guys , the nz fs is governed by an ACT of parliament , they don't have an unlimited supply of money to build stations then set up the crews to man it , its about risk , and what the fire service act requires as tabled by parliament ... as in response times etc , and cover , and vollies are not free ... there is huge costs that go into this , .. and vollies can claim lost wages ... as population grows the demographic of the area changes , ... and with it the risk , so into the cap expenditure gos the reccomendations of coverage , nothing happens overnight .
I also understand what Mohawk was getting at , dis-servce may be the wrong term , but the intent is the same .
I want to thank all the vollies that give their time and give up family life for the service , just as I appreciate the fulltime crews that have chosen this as their career , the first step is to get a yellow watch crew into the area , ... then see how the response times pan out , ... if it is shown in stats and hard facts that a full time crew is needed then it will be looked at ,
keep it civil fellas , ...

is someone not calm or civil?

well , I can see it getting a little nitpicky , ... so I at least can say I tried to keep it calm .... but it was just a rolling monster that wouldn't quit .

Originally Posted by stumpy

just calm down, guys , the nz fs is governed by an ACT of parliament , they don't have an unlimited supply of money to build stations then set up the crews to man it , its about risk , and what the fire service act requires as tabled by parliament ... as in response times etc , and cover , and vollies are not free ... there is huge costs that go into this , .. and vollies can claim lost wages ... as population grows the demographic of the area changes , ... and with it the risk , so into the cap expenditure gos the reccomendations of coverage , nothing happens overnight .
I also understand what Mohawk was getting at , dis-servce may be the wrong term , but the intent is the same .
I want to thank all the vollies that give their time and give up family life for the service , just as I appreciate the fulltime crews that have chosen this as their career , the first step is to get a yellow watch crew into the area , ... then see how the response times pan out , ... if it is shown in stats and hard facts that a full time crew is needed then it will be looked at ,
keep it civil fellas , ...

Cheers Stumpy, you have worded it more succinct than I have, and yes I agree that the volunteer community do a fantastic job....

i hope i come across as calm and civil, that's how i am.

just want to understand peoples perspective, reasoning behind their decisions so i need to ask so i don't assume things

Reminder the emergency service day is on this Saturday.
@Ryan PM me if you are going and I tell you where to find me. Same @300winmag if you want to take your boy along.

There will be a lot to see including a good look at the police toys

The emergency services day went quite well. Long day but good to see the kids young and old enjoying the day











Got a ride back to the demonstration area for the 2nd demo

Is that appliance from Whenuapai?

Sent from my workbench

Originally Posted by smidey

Is that appliance from Whenuapai?

Sent from my workbench

look badass
We could of used that at some of our grass fires recently.


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