News Story
2013 ended with 558 calls for the calendar year: the usual house fires, motor vehicle accidents, gas leaks, rescues, and haz mat incidents. Last summer's drought was the notable feature of 2013. Our brigade had already geared up with pre-emptive measures, Operation Parched, to meet contingences. The long dry period was punctuated by 2 "campaign fires" at Tapora and near Dome Valley... both were rural fires, both in the North of our area and both lasted some days with continuous attendance, in shifts, by our members. Then there was a major bush fire, threatening houses in Clendon, South Auckland. But the Brigade's busiest event of the year, by far, was off the fireground: it was the project to host 500 delegates and partners attending the United Fire Brigades' Association's Annual Conference in November. Almost the whole brigade was involved one way or another, the first time Operational Support or Fire Police had hosted this event. The conference organisers and delegates acclaimed it as an all-round success. And on top of that it was our birthday with appropriate celebrations in September to mark a milestone - our 80th anniversary. And just one hour into the New Year the first call for 2014 was paged... members responded to, and closed, Gladstone Road, Parnell, to protect a hose-line being used to fight a fire sweeping through bush along the railway embankment.
