Fire Brigade is not only for fires

The Brigade has had a steady month with both vegetation and a Shed fire along with our usual calls and the fire risk is running between very high and extreme. A quick response can save our Brigade volunteers hours of time so – REMEMBER THERE IS A TOTAL FIRE BAN IN PLACE IF YOU SEE ANY SMOKE OR FIRE CALL 111 IMMEDIATELY.

Not all our work is Fire fighting, a large amount of our time is devoted to Road Traffic Crashes and Medical Calls, with every Firefighter receiving comprehensive Medical Training. 

Late last year the Brigade put all that training into play when we responded to a Cardiac Arrest in our Community when a local farmers day changed in an instant. The patient, Jonty, was heard to suddenly collapse outside on the porch and both his stepdaughter and daughter raced into action to start the chain of events leading to his survival and full recovery. Stepdaughter Hannah started CPR, while daughter Missy called 111. The Martinborough Fire Brigade was responded, along with Nurses from the Martinborough Medical Centre PRIME Response, and Wellington Free Ambulance from Greytown not far behind. 

The crew arrived first immediately taking over the vital CPR started by Hannah and then quickly using a defibrillator carried on every Fire truck, applied a shock to successfully restart Jonty’s heart, before then starting to organise the continuation of care that would lead to a wonderful outcome for all involved. 

We train to work as a team, and with other agencies, this was where all that teamwork, preceded by Hannah’s lifesaving CPR, came into play, with both Martinborough and Featherston Fire Brigades, the Medical Centre Prime Responders, Ambulance crews and the Lifeflight Helicopter Team to save a life.

Hannah has since joined the Brigade as a recruit Firefighter, and is loving being part of the team (more about Hannah later in the year)

If you think you would like to be part of our team come on down on a Tueday Night at 7pm and see what we do.

For all emergencies, motor vehicle accidents or if you see any smoke or fire Dial 111 immediately it could save a life.

Photo caption: The multi agency team in action preparing Jonty for helicopter