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Opportunity to Be a Part of the National Community Awards

21/3/2017

Press Release: TrustPower

THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE TRUSTPOWER NATIONAL COMMUNITY AWARDS HAS ARRIVED ON ROTORUA’S DOORSTEP

This Friday (24 March), 25 voluntary groups from around the country, with their regional Mayors and Senior Councillors in tow, will arrive in Rotorua for a weekend long event to celebrate volunteerism and vie for the prestigious title of the Trustpower National Community Awards Supreme Winner.

The Trustpower National Community Awards offers the rare opportunity to put volunteers and the work they do in the spotlight in front of a cohort of Mayors, Councillors and a myriad of other guests.

Amongst the cohort are guests who are part of the independent judging panel. This panel includes Billie Jordan, founder, teacher and Manager of the Hip Op-eration Crew, 2015 New Zealander of the Year Local Hero and MNZM recipient; Kristin Hall from TVONE Seven Sharp’s; and Sue McCabe, Chief Executive of the Who Did you Help Today Trust, and co-founder and co-manager of Community Comms Collective.

The weekend is also a chance to showcase Rotorua, its uniqueness and local flavours, setting the scene for the voluntary organisations in attendance to learn with one another, share new experiences and tell their story on a national stage.

Representing Rotorua Lakes is Te Waiariki Purea Trust Ira Matatau Rangatahi Leadership Programme – an honour they won after being named Supreme Winner at the Trustpower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards last year.

Te Waiariki Purea Trust Ira Matatau Rangatahi Leadership Programme will give an eight minute presentation on what the group has achieved and why they deserve the title of Trustpower National Community Award Supreme Winner. Te Waiariki Purea Trust Ira Matatau Rangatahi Leadership Programme will be judged on that presentation, along with a 1,000 word summary of the organisation.

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick says she’s thrilled to be hosting this year’s finalists and particularly proud to be able to support local youth involved in Te Waiariki Purea Trust’s Ira Matatau Rangatahi Leadership Programme.

“This is a trust that has been doing invaluable work in our community for a long time, working with youth, with whanau and with the community,” Mayor Chadwick says.

“Through its work the trust is growing strong, confident, competent young people, teaching them skills they will take with them through adulthood. It’s wonderful to see our young people become young leaders.

“I congratulate all our finalists and welcome them to our wonderful district to enjoy our hospitality as they celebrate their achievements. Our communities simply wouldn’t function without the dedication and hard work of all our many volunteers.”

The presentations will take place on Saturday 25 March in the BayTrust Forum at Rotorua Energy Events Centre, and Trustpower Community Relations Representative Emily Beaton, encourages Rotorua locals to get along to the Energy Events Centre, to show their support for Te Waiariki Purea Trust.

“This group of volunteers have put a lot of work into rangatahi; engaging and motivating them to be active participants in the community around them.

This weekend is their time share this story, on a national stage, and shine a light on everything that they have achieved.”

Trustpower would like to extend the invitation to all Rotorua locals to attend the presentations and show their support for not only the Te Waiariki Purea Trust, but for volunteering as a whole.

“The opportunity to hear 25 inspiring and powerful stories of voluntary groups from around the country is a special experience to be part of and to have that right here on your doorstep is an absolute novelty.

I guarantee that hearing these stories will resonate with you and you will be blown away by the passion and heart that these people have for what they do,” says Miss Beaton.

Lake Okareka Chief Rural Fire Officer Phillip Muldoon, Rotorua Mayor Stevie Chadwick and Okareka Rural Fire-Fighter Blair Gilbert at the 2015 National Community Awards.

Blair Gilbert, National Manager of Community and Life Enrichment Services at the Blind Foundation and volunteer fire fighter with the Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force, is also part of the independent judging panel. He’s representing local Rotorua group Youth and Emergency Services (YES) which was awarded the runner-up prize at last year’s National Community Awards event.

Mr Gilbert urges locals to come out to hear the stories from the presenting community groups. “I love hearing about the innovative programmes and ideas we may not have tried before. It makes things possible and encourages you to have a go in your community.

Everyone needs to hear these stories. This event highlights the best people and the best of communities. When you hear innovative and aspirations ideas come to fruition, it starts your mind thinking to what else is possible.”

The presentations begin at 8.20am on Saturday 25 March in the BayTrust Forum at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. There will be public seating provided and attendees are urged to be mindful and courteous of groups presenting by not coming and going between or during presentations but attending each session as a whole [refer to timetable for details]. Please indicate your interest in attending by emailing Emily Beaton of Trustpower at emily@trustpower.co.nz

The Winner, Runner-Up and recipient of the Whetū Mātaiata Award will be announced at a formal Awards dinner that evening at Blue Baths.

Attending the Trustpower National Community Awards from Te Waiariki Purea Trust Ira Matatau Rangatahi Leadership Programme will be Maylene Meroiti and Kaimai-Rose Lee, along with Rotorua Lakes Mayor Steve Chadwick and her husband John.

The Trustpower National Community Awards Supreme Winner will take home a custom-made trophy, $4,000 in prize money, a framed certificate and a $1,000 consultancy voucher from one of New Zealand’s leading training providers for the community sector, Exult. The Runner Up will receive $2,500 in prize money, a $500 Exult voucher and a framed certificate. The Whetū Mātaiata Award recipient receives a framed certificate and a consultancy service package from award sponsor, Exult.

Mr Gilbert said, on behalf of YES, felt that receiving the runner up award at last year’s Trustpower National Community Awards was a huge honour for all emergency services staff and the young people involved.

“The award has given the YES programme strength and reinforced that our programme is on the right track. We can positively say ‘it is one of the best youth development programmes we have in New Zealand” and it was developed in our small community of Lake Okareka, Rotorua.

Meanwhile, entries are now being taken for the 2017 Trustpower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards. Anyone can enter a group for the Awards and all voluntary groups and not-for-profit organisations are eligible to be entered. Entries close on Friday 14 April. The Supreme Winner of the 2017 Trustpower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards will go to the Trustpower National Community Awards in 2018.

To enter a group online, head along to www.trustpower.co.nz/communityawards

© Scoop Media

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Fire Rips Through Roof of Lake Okareka House

18/3/2017

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A heat gun is believed to be the cause of a fire that ripped through the roof of a Lake Okareka home.

The Rotorua Fire Brigade was called to attend the fire on Calder Rd, shortly after 10am today. The cause of the fire is believed to be a heat gun, used to remove paint from the exterior of the house. The occupants of the house weren't home at the time, but contractors raised the alarm and used a garden hose to contain it the best they could. The fire burnt out the roof void above a garage and upstairs bedroom.

Senior Station Officer Jim Prescott said Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force and Rotorua Fire Brigade brought the fire under control in six to eight minutes. "Quite a lot of damage was done," he said. "All it takes is a small hole between boards, a few spider webs and a bit of dust."

Nobody was injured in the fire.

Mr Prescott said the best method for people using a heat gun was to have a hose available and the ability to break into the wall cavity. "People always worry about a small hole in their wall, but as we've seen today it can create a lot of damage."

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Fire and Emergency New Zealand

16/3/2017

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15 March 2017

Fire and Emergency New Zealand – Progress Towards 1 July 2017

We have made significant progress over the past eight months in anticipation of bringing over 14,000 people and 40 organisations under one umbrella – Fire and Emergency New Zealand – from 1 July 2017.

This progress is largely due to the goodwill and involvement of rural and urban personnel, and the wider fire services sector, who are working closely with the Board and Transition team to make sure our new organisation works in the best interests of our people and our communities.

More announcements will be made over the coming months: Fenz Project.

Building Fire and Emergency New Zealand: Three Key Phases
Establishing Fire and Emergency New Zealand is a large task and will take a number of years to fully achieve. We need to take time to do it properly and to keep working with the sector. For this reason, we have divided the work into three key phases: Amalgamation of urban and rural fire (1 July, 2017); Integration into a single organisation (1 July 2017 - 1 July 2020) and Unification (from 2020 onwards).

ORGANISATION

National Leadership – three new roles will be in place from 1 July. These are: Chief Executive (CE), National Commander Urban (NCU) and National Manager Rural (NMR). These appointments will be made in April/May.
- In the lead up to 1 July, Paul McGill has been appointed as the Chief Executive/National Commander, Kerry Gregory as the Deputy National Commander, and Kevin O’Connor will continue as the National Rural Fire Officer.
Regional Leadership
- No change to roles and organisational structure, up to, and including, Fire Region Managers (FRMs) and Principal Rural Fire Officers (PRFOs) from 1 July.
- FRMs will report to the National Commander Urban.
- PRFOs will report to five new Regional Managers Rural (RMRs), who will report to the National Manager Rural.
- The RMR roles have been created because of the dissolution of Rural Fire Authorities from 1 July. These roles are two year appointments, an interim measure while urban and rural fire boundaries are reviewed (see below).
Command and Control – Guidance and delegations to make sure command and control arrangements are clear on 1 July will be announced in May. Work to make sure this is done properly is underway and includes input from operational personnel and their representatives. Unified command and control arrangements for Fire and Emergency New Zealand will be developed over the next three years.
Urban/Rural Fire Boundaries will remain in-place on 1 July to minimise any service disruption. However, these will be reviewed in the first year of integration and replaced with Fire and Emergency New Zealand boundaries over the next three years.
Rural Fire Authorities (RFAs) (including Enlarged Rural Fire Districts (ERFDs)) will be dissolved from 1 July, with responsibility and funding for rural fire transferring to Fire and Emergency New Zealand. Territorial Local Authorities (TLAs) will no longer be required to fund rural fire from rates. We are working closely with these affected rural fire authorities to ensure their responsibilities are transferred with minimal disruption.
Rural Fire Assets – We are working with affected rural fire authorities to make sure Fire and Emergency New Zealand has continued use of response assets from 1 July. Permanent arrangements will be negotiated over the next three years.
Forest Fires – Agreements on how Fire and Emergency New Zealand will work with forest owners will be in place on 1 July.
Department of Conservation (DOC) and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) – From 1 July, Fire and Emergency New Zealand will have agreements with DOC and NZDF about fire and emergency services that each organisation will provide. NZDF will have fire control and emergency response powers and functions for NZDF areas.

PEOPLE

Volunteers – Urban and rural volunteers will become Fire and Emergency New Zealand personnel on 1 July. An initial support package for volunteers for 1 July will be confirmed in May.
Employees
- New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) and National Rural Fire Authority (NRFA) employees will become employees of Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and their existing employment terms and conditions will remain unchanged on 1 July.
- RFA employees working solely on rural fire duties (whether full-time or part-time) will be offered a transfer to Fire and Emergency New Zealand, with equivalent terms and conditions of employment.
- RFA employees who perform some rural fire duties, on top of other work for their TLA, will have the opportunity to apply for any vacancies in Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
- DOC and NZDF employees who do rural fire work will remain with their respective organisations.

POLICY

Fire Permits – Fire and Emergency New Zealand will issue fire permits through an interim system from 1 July, while a permanent, national system is developed during the first year of Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
Fire Investigations – authorisations to allow fire investigations to continue will be in place by 1 July.
Policies – Most current NZFS corporate policies will become Fire and Emergency New Zealand policies, with changes made where needed, for 1 July. These will be prioritised for review over the next three years, to ensure they meet the needs of Fire and Emergency New Zealand. There will be some new policies, such as Safety, Health and Wellbeing, expected to be finalised in May.
Disputes Resolution Process – a temporary disputes resolution process will be in place for 1 July which can deal with a range of issues, including those raised by volunteers. More detail will be available from the end of April. A permanent disputes resolution scheme will be developed in the first year of Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
Local Advisory Committees (LACs) – Local Advisory Committees will be appointed by the Board and will provide valuable advice on local community risks and needs. LACs will not be involved in governance, management or operations. Three ‘pilots’ (including urban and rural fire personnel and community representatives) will test how LACs will operate. The Greater Auckland pilot was established in December 2016, Mid-South Canterbury will be established in March/April, and Hawke’s Bay will be established later this year. Consultation on LAC boundaries will start after 1 July.
Funding
- Public consultation was held last year on a proposed increase to the current levy from 1 July 2017. The proposed increase will help meet current and new costs (including rural fire). If the Government approves this first increase in eight years, it will apply until new levy provisions come into force.
- The Government will make a ‘public good’ contribution to cover the cost of responding to incidents that are not property or motor vehicle related, such as rescues, and medical and other emergencies.
- A new and broader levy (assessed on material damage insurance and third-party motor vehicle insurance) will come into force sometime after 1 July 2018. Consultation on this will take place after 1 July 2017.
Identity – Fire and Emergency New Zealand will have a new logo by 1 July, with decisions on uniforms and fleet colours coming later. The new identity is being tested in workshops and interviews with over 160 urban and rural personnel. Recommendations will be made to the Board in April, the logo will be revealed internally in May, and applied over the following months.

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High-Tech Firefighting Helps Defend Canterbury

8/3/2017

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Article retreived from Radio New Zealand

A fire swept across 2000 hectares of Christchurch's Port Hills last month - followed by a scrub fire near Hanmer Springs that brought the main route between Christchurch and Picton to a standstill and devastated large areas of private land.

But new technology has given firefighters extra tools in their fight against the blazes.

Heat-seeking drones

Drones equipped with heat-detecting infrared cameras are among them.

Selwyn incident controller Mike Grant said this technology was invaluable in identifying and preventing flare-ups. Mr Grant said fires could burn as deep as 1.5m underground. "There is a lot of fire that is burning underground that is not visible to the firefighters. This technology is really helping us to get to this fire."

A firefighter dampens a hotspot in the Port Hills - and drones were used to help spot the potential trouble spots. Photo: RNZ / Logan Church

The drones could be flown over the fire area at night and in the afternoon to identify hotspots, which were then mapped. Those maps could be downloaded directly to a firefighter's cellphone, giving them an up-to-date fire tracker in their pocket. Mr Grant said using infrared drones was common in other industries, but had only recently been adopted in rural firefighting.

Full-scale, remote-controlled diggers

A South Island business offered its remote-controlled diggers as a way to safely combat the blaze.

Remote-controlled diggers allow drivers to clear hazardous areas without putting themselves in danger. Photo: Supplied / Protranz

Earthmoving and demolition contractor Protranz is one of the only organisations in the world to operate diggers that are controlled remotely.

Protranz owner Gerad Daldry said the diggers, built to tackle the most dangerous demolitions after the Canterbury earthquakes, offered an obvious safety benefit to the drivers. "If you want to do something extreme, at least there is no one in the digger," Mr Daldry said.

Mr Daldry said the machines working on the Port Hills were contolled by an operator in a helicopter, well away from any danger. The original digger cost $800,000 to build, and Protranz now operated four of them. Mr Daldry said he was developing new technology to help firefighting, including a remote-controlled water cannon.

The remains of the Ohinetahi Bush Reserve after the Port Hills fire. Photo: Supplied

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Crunch Time For Firefighting Efforts Near Hanmer Springs

4/3/2017

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Firefighters are getting closer to bringing fires near Hanmer Springs under control, but strong winds forecast on Friday have some worried.

Incident controller and Hurunui principal rural fire officer Allan Grigg said firefighters needed to bring the fire under complete control soon, as north west winds were predicted for Friday. "We're going really good. It's still 100 per cent contained and we're moving up to 90 per cent controlled. It's not going anywhere at this point, but [Friday], it's crunch time."

A thermal imaging drone had identified more than 1000 hotspots in the are, which were being methodically exposed and extinguished.

Firefighters would not know until late Friday if it was fully under control. Embers caught up by the wind could float over a kilometer from a fire, igniting more spot fires.

Fire fighters are still working to extinguish hot spots from the Hanmer Springs fires.

A Hurunui District Council spokeswoman said that while there was no ember transport on Friday morning, the risk of a break out would increase as the wind picked up during the day.

On Friday there were 10 ground crews, 14 fire trucks and three items of heavy machinery working on site, as well as three helicopters in the air.

As there would be fire fighters working in the area for some time, Grigg said it was imperative that people be mindful of those working to protect the area from the fires.

The burnt landscape mars the beauty of the Hurunui District.

He said he had seen "tourists stopping on the road side to take photos and people swerving into the other lane while they looked at the fire". "Please, can people watch and follow the 30kmh speed limit and be careful. Be conscious about careful driving." Grigg said a combination of hard and work, ample day light and low winds had allowed fire fighters to get on top of the blaze as quick as they had. "We were very lucky to get this fire as we did."

He said it was decided on Wednesday that no state of emergency needed to be declared as the services available were sufficient to the task. Grigg said he wanted to thank the "amazing people" of the 14 fire crews, 12 helicopters and members of the Port Hills fire management team who had assisted in fighting the Hanmer fires. "We can't thank them enough. And they all do it with a smile."

Rural fire fighters get some rest between fighting the Hanmer fires.

Hurunui District mayor Winton Dalley spoke to a group of fire fighters as they ate lunch, thanking them for their service in protecting the people and property of the district. "I know what hard yakka it is. I really appreciate everyone who's here." Dalley said good spring growth and the continuing harsh drought had left the district at risk of devastating fire. "This whole district's a tinder box, we just need to be so careful. All across North Canterbury."

He said there were some in the district who were affected by the drought who also suffered damage in the earthquakes. The last thing anyone needed was to add fire to that list. As for the drought, Dalley said he would continue to discuss solutions for the issue with the Ministry of Agriculture. "If we don't get substantial rain over the next few weeks, we'll be going into winter pretty precarious." All going well, Grigg said, some fire fighters would be in the area for around a week to monitor the area and prevent flare ups.

Fire fighters were provided a cooked lunch as a respite from fighting the Hanmer fires.

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