FORUM TOPIC OF THE MONTH:Waterways Q & A...

Got a question or comment about the Waterway rules, equipment, or an upcoming event? Post it to the online fo-rum and the Technical Panel or Events Manager will post a response before you can say “waterway”.

To join the discussion about this or any other topic, log on to www.ufba.org.nz/forum, go to topic of the month, and post your comments on the UFBA mem-ber forum. NOTE: You must be a registered user of the website and logged in to participate.

November 2010

And the winners are...If you registered as a member of the new UFBA website from July through September, you were automatically entered into our prize draw. Over 1300 individuals regis-tered through the site and now, we have our winners!

Congratulations to:

Gavin Nelson of Waiheke Island, winner of the Samsung S8300T touch screen cellphone (retail value $699.00), courtesy of Orb Communications

Rex Wilson of Paihia, winner of two nights of accommodation at a Heritage or Citylife Hotel of his choice, courtesy of Orbit Corporate Travel

Andrew Innes Port Chalmers, winner of $500 in UFBA-branded merchandise (retail value), courtesy of the UFBA.

Thank you to all those who took part, and to our busi-ness partners who made the promotion possible: Swazi Apparel, Placemakers, Orb Communications, and Orbit Corporate Travel.

The UFBA Benevolent Fund Firefighter Earthquake Appeal:

Has your brigade donated yet?The UFBA will continue to accept contributions over the coming months so that we can help as many firefigh-ers as possible, so there’s still time to extend your support. Go to www.ufba.org.nz to find out how to do-nate. More on page 8.

NOTICE TO MEMBERS: The UFBA office will be closed on Friday, 26th Novem-ber and Monday, 29th November due to the Annual Conference. It will reopen on Tuesday, 30th November.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

One of the unexpected duties in my term as Presi-dent has been the bittersweet task of distributing funds to those most in need as a result of the dev-astating effects of the Canterbury earthquake. In so many cases it’s shattering to see what has happened, and just how catastrophic it has been for some families - those who no longer have a house they can live in, others who suffer trauma, and some being psychologically affected by the situation they find themselves in.

The pleasure, though, has been seeing the reac-tion when I present a contribution on behalf of the UFBA’s Benevolent Fund. Reaction ranges from tears, shouts of joy, incredulous hesitancy, and often, claims that there are others in the community more deserving, worse off. But these are our people: it’s great we can help our own in this way in their hour of need.

The UFBA is indeed fortunate to have the Benevolent Fund, perfectly placed to provide the mechanism to readily assist those Canterbury firefighters facing dire personal hardship.

We are grateful to the Trustees, led by Emrys Evans, who realised that the needs in Canterbury would be an enormous call on the Fund, and delegated their authority to local personnel. Thank you to all those who have donated their time to assist with the ad-ministration of the Fund.

Ross Ditmer

President

Ross Ditmer

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Rolleston Shaves Lids for KidsEvery year, an average of 150 Kiwi kids are diagnosed with cancer, which means that there are many children and families requiring special support and assistance. The Child Cancer Foundation believes that no child suffering from cancer, or their family, should ever feel alone.

On 4th December from 10.30 am at BP Rolleston, the members of Rolleston Volun-teer Fire Brigade will shave their heads to raise money for this worthy cause. They invite anyone in the area to come down and join the fun as they participate in the fundraiser for the fourth time.

The Rolleston Volunteer Fire Brigade is pas-sionate about the cause, with over 20 firefighters from the brigade willing to lose their locks to prove it! You can join in and shave your lid for brave kid’s with cancer by registering through the Funrazor website at www.funrazor.org.nz/.

To support the Rolleston brigade, visit http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/RollestonVolunteerFireBrigade/. All money raised goes to the Child Cancer Foundation.

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ANSWERS TO THE OCTOBER FIVE-MINUTE QUIZ:Following are the answers from the quiz that appeared in last month’s newsletter. The full quiz is available online at www.ufba.org.nz/nzfbi/five_minute_quiz/october_2010.

1) Auckland, Palmerston North & Christchurch 2) Reduction, Readiness, Response, Recovery 3) At the beginning of the seventh day after the declaration, OR at an earlier time stated in the declaration. NOTE: A state of emergency can be extended by any period before the declaration expires. 4) No 5) Ministry Of Health 6) National Crisis Manage-ment Centre 7) The Beehive 8)MIPS (Multiple Incident Procedure) 9) On duty Coms Shift Manager 10) Sitreps

Tight MovesBy Robert Rhea

In: Fire Chief, v54 no1 (Jan 2010) p42-50

NZFBI Recommends...The New Zealand Fire Brigades’ Institute and New Zealand Fire Service Library have teamed up to bring you this month’s featured article under the theme “Confined Spaces”. You can access articles on a range of topics through the Fire Service network.

NZFBI Five-Minute QuizThe topic for this month is “Confined Spaces”. Answers are available online at www.ufba.org.nz/nzfbi/five_minute_quiz/november_2010 and will appear in next month’s newsletter.

What is a confined space?

With regard to confined spaces, there are many haz-ards. These hazards fall into 3 basic categories. What are they?

There are ‘safe’ oxygen levels under normal atmos-pheric pressure, what are they?

The explosive range for each flammable gas is between what two limits?

Methane gas is explosive between what percentages?

Confined space rescue can be very tiring. Name 3 steps to minimise fatigue.

Name 4 triggers that can cause claustrophobia.

Claustrophobia is a common reaction had by many people. Name 4 steps that can help you remain in control.

One of the physical hazards in confined spaces is known as bridging, explain this?

What are the minimum requirements for PPE at a confined space incident?

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In this article, the author focuses on the planning and preparedness for any type of confined-space rescue. The author has 16 years experience with an American department’s technical rescue team and urban search and rescue team. He considers the need for escape-procedure planning, and entry-team preparedness. He encourages a level of detailed planning that includes the possibility that the rescue team themselves become trapped. He advises that agreed procedures should be in place in the event of communication failure, light source failure, or dam-age to airlines. He also discusses the use of Rapid Intervention Teams.

If you would like to read the full article, email a request to the Library Team at infoc@fire.org.nz, or log onto the Fire Service network and access the link through www.ufba.org.nz/resources/articles/tight_moves

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Peter Baines Confirmed as Conference Key Note Speaker on LeadershipThe UFBA has booked sought-after speaker Peter Baines to address delegates on leadership at the Annual Conference later this month. Having led the international disaster victim identification response after the 2004 Thailand Tsunami, Peter is well placed to share his insights on leadership and disaster management. His messages are particularly relevant after the recent Canterbury earthquake.

“I’ve seen him speak at international conferences in Chicago, Italy, and Fiji to large delegations of business people,” says UFBA Chairman Peter Drummond. “With his background, he is perfect for the UFBA. He will no doubt deliver an interesting and engaging presentation. “

About PeterAn expert in forensic science, he spent more than two decades with the New South Wales Police, and was involved in responding to some of the most confronting natural disasters and acts of terrorism the world has ever seen.

After the Tsunami on Boxing Day of 2004, he was deployed to Thailand to lead the International Disaster Victim Iden-tification response, and spent the next three months leading the efforts of teams from across 36 different countries. After returning to Australia, Peter formed Hands Across the Water to raise funds and awareness for the Thai children orphaned as a result of the Tsunami.

Drawing on his experiences with the Police and Hands Across the Water, Peter’s presentations offer a rare insight into what it takes to lead powerfully and with compassion, including how to maintain clarity of purpose when the go-ing gets tough. Once we fully accept that change is constant, there are only two possible courses of action: become paralysed and fail to respond to the challenges we face, or take command and realise that leadership really matters.

UFBA Annual Conference

Blast from a Conference Past...

When it comes to the UFBA Conference, some tradi-tions never change. The conference photo is one of those traditions.

Here, the delegate photo from the UFBA Annual Conference held in Napier from 22nd to 25th February, 1959.

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From the USA...This article on the Firefighter Combat Challenge appeared in the Wall Street Journal on 19th October, and is reprinted in its entirety below, with permission from the Wall Street Journal and writer Mark Yost from Chicago.

Grace Under Fire

By Mark Yost

On a recent Saturday morning, Bob Pfohl raced up six flights of stairs, hauled a fully charged hose 75 feet and dragged a 175-pound body another 100 feet. The 54 year old career firefighter from San Diego wasn’t responding to a call, but compet-ing in the firefighter Combat Challenge, a nationwide competition that tests the physical fitness and stamina of thousands of firefighters every year.

Often called “the Olympics of firefight-ing”, the Combat Challenge, which has 20 events a year featuring about 4,000 fire-fighters, is the brainchild of exercise phys-iologist Paul Davis. In the early 1970s, Dr. Davis was a firefighter in Montgomery County, Md., and fire departments across the country were starting to get sued by minority and feminist groups for what many saw as the discriminatory physical requirements to become a firefighter.

“In some places you had to be six feet tall, odd stuff like that,” he said in a recent interview. “It was very arbitrary and dif-fered from place to place.”

With a grant from what would become the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Davis was asked to develop a standardised test for fire departments. “We basically asked ourselves, ‘What’s an essential function, and how do we create a surrogate for that?’ “he said.

What they came up with are the events that make up the Combat Challenge. Each firefighter – wearing 50 pounds of gear, including an air pack – starts with an additional 45 pound hose pack (sometimes called an “apartment pack” or “hotel pack,” a set of preconnected hoses used to fight fires in multi-story hotels and apartments) on his shoulder and has to run up 63 steps to the top of a five-story tower.

“The physical demands of stair climbing are extraordinary, and very much a part of the job,” Dr. Davis said. “You’re not only propelling yourself forward, but also lifting. It exacts a severe physiological toll.”

By Dr. Davis’s measurement, during the stair climb the firefighters are moving

themselves and their gear about 41 feet in 12 seconds at 1.5 horsepower. “That’s not sustainable,” he said.

Once at the top of the stairs, contestants reach over a railing and use a rope to haul up another hose pack, this one weighing 42 pounds. This, he said shifts the work load from the lower extremities to the upper body. “In firefighting, your grip could be your life.”

Next, contestants run back down the stairs – touching each one – and pick up a sledgehammer to use on what’s called a “Kaiser sled,” a metal track with a 160 pound block on it. The firefighters have to use the sledgehammer to drive the block at least five feet. The preferred method seems to be to straddle the Kaiser sled, swing the sledgehammer in short, choppy swings, and hit the end of the block. It’s a true test of real world firefighters’ skills, Dr. Davis said, because sometimes buildings are so smoky and deprived of oxygen that firefighters can’t use a gas-powered saw, so they have to use axes and sledgehammers to break through doors and walls.

Contestants then run 140 feet and grab a fully charged hose, drag it 75 feet and shoot the spray at a small target. “It’s an-other essential function and a good test of legs and core strength,’ Dr Davis said.

Finally, firefighters must drag a 175-pound mannequin 106 feet. It’s one of the tough-est parts of the competition, and not just because it comes at the end, when these guys are spent. “It’s the human tractor pull,” Dr Davis said. “And if you look at our demographics, we’re not getting any lighter.”

Dr. Davis said the test is important be-cause firefighting is one of the last truly physical jobs in urban America. “Most of the work done in cities has been replaced by machines,” he said. “But firefighters still make a living using their bodies. They’re still hugely dependent on their physical prowess.”

Today, the Combat Challenge and the Candidate Physical Ability Test are the two standardised tests used by most fire departments to screen applicants. But some fire departments are also using it to make sure that their firefighters remain

physically fit for the job. For instance, the Montgomery, Ala,. Department, which had a rookie team here, uses the Combat Challenge course to test its firefight-ers every year, from chiefs to its newest members. They have none minutes and 30 seconds to complete the course, com-pared with the Combat Challenge where the world individual record is one minute, 19 seconds. If a Montgomery firefighter fails the test, he must participate in a remedial physical-fitness program until he does pass.

“These guys are professional athletes,” Dr. Davis said of the Challenge participants. “If you put them in an exercise physiol-ogy lab, they’d test right up there with Olympians.”

At Tyler, there were about 130 firefighters competing in team and individual competi-tions. The events are usually held in mall and school parking lots – anywhere with enough room to set up the course. About 500 fans – mostly family members and other local firefighters – showed up to cheer on the competitors. Rex Nimrod, whom Dr. Davis calls “a perennial teen-ager,” worked the crowd and introduced the competitors.

The best individual time at Tyler came from MacKenzie Briggs of Palm Beach County, Fla. Expected to do well at the world championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in November, he completed the course in one minute 31.74 seconds.

The team competition, in which four members of a team divide up the six tasks, was won by Team Wired Zip Lines, a group of firefighters from McKinney, Texas, with a time of one minute, 14.84 seconds. The world record is one minute, eight seconds.

And then there was Mr. Pfohl, the San Diego firefighter, who works on the Viejas Indian Reservation. He completed the individual course in two minutes, 30.78 seconds – good enough to win the Over 50 category and place 97th overall among the mostly 20-something competitors.

“Bob Pfohl is what the Combat Challenge is all about,” Dr. Davis said. “He’s the kind of 54 year old firefighter you want getting out of the truck in front of your house.

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Waterway teams from around the country are gearing up and getting excited for the 2010-11 season. Provincial competitions are already in full swing around the country, and the Technical Panel has been busy attending these events.

The introduction of the new rules in 2008 has leveled the playing field, so there’s never been a better time for new teams to get involved.

In an effort to encourage more participation in water-

ways, the Technical Panel will continue to be available for provincial events to offer advice on the rules and support new teams as they learn the ropes. And when possible, experienced teams will join the panel to demonstrate the runs.

Kim Stewart, Technical Panel Chairman, encourages any teams or provincial associations that have questions about the waterways, or wish to invite the Panel along to an event, to make contact through the UFBA website at www.ufba.org.nz/about/our_people/technical_panel/.

Waterways Back in Full Force

BELOW: Nelson Malborough Provincial Association hosted the Top of the South Firefighter Challenge in Renwick in

late October - its first waterway competition in nine years. Teams from Takaka, Renwick, and Blenheim competed, and

the Australasian Champion Carterton team traveled to the event to help the new teams along. Photos courtesy of Blair Hall.

View more photos at www.photoaction.co.nz/gallery.html

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Nelson/Marlborough Jumps Back on the Waterway WagonIn late October, the Nelson/Marlborough Provincial As-sociation hosted the Top of the South Firefighter Chal-lenge in Renwick – its first waterway competition in nine years. Teams from Takaka, Renwick, and Blenheim competed, and the Australasian Champion Carterton team made the trip to give the new teams some tips and tricks on the runs. With the majority of competitors being new to waterways, it was a great opportunity for them to pick up new techniques and learn the ins and outs of the rules.

“Having (UFBA Technical Panel members) Bryan Styles and Kim Stewart at the competition, as well as the ex-perienced Carterton team there to share its knowledge really helped,” says Ross Bailey, President of the Nel-son/Marlborough Provincial Association. “I’d encourage any provincial that’s looking to increase participation in waterways to take advantage of their expertise.”

Top 5 Reasons to Start a Waterway Team

It’s a great way to sharpen your firefighting skills, and learn new techniques from other teams.

You’ll travel around the country and network with other brigades – a fantastic opportunity to share information (and socialize, of course).

You’ll promote teamwork and build morale in your brigade.

Competitors are fully funded (as long as travel, accommodation and expenses are in line with UFBA policy), so you won’t be out of pocket.

Because firefighting + the thrill of competition = a great time.

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2011

15 January Region 2 Waterway Challenge Carterton

29 January Region 1 Waterway Challenge Turangi

5 February Region 4 Waterway Challenge Oamaru

13 February Region 3 Waterway Challenge Hokitika

24 – 26 February National Waterway Challenge Carterton

13 – 16 July Australasian & World RCR

Challenges, Christchurch

2010

27 – 29

November

National Conference, Duxton

Hotel, Wellington

KEY DATESRegional Waterway Challenges

Registration forms will be available for download from the UFBA website from 12 November.

Challenge EquipmentHosting an official event, but short on resources? The UFBA’s equipment can be made available for official events. All you need to do is put a request into the office. The Challenge Equipment Request form and Challenge Equip-ment Policy are available at www.ufba.org.nz/events/list/cat-egory/ufba_challenges.

UFBA Firefighter Combat Challenge 2011The UFBA would like to hear from those interested in host-ing the following events in 2011:

March / April: North Island Firefighter Combat Chal-lenge & South Island Firefighter Combat Challenge

September / October: National Fire Fighter Combat Challenge

Download expression of interest forms at www.ufba.org.nz/events/host_an_event, or email events@ufba.org.nz. Expressions of interest close on 3 December.

UFBA Event Notices

PAGE 8

Canterbury Earthquake – Time to Help Our OwnNow it’s our turn, time to help our own. An opportunity to make things just a little more bearable for those firefighters who lost most of what they had in those few minutes on 4th September and who now find that their lives will never again be quite the same. Fire brigades throughout New Zea-land are being asked to help those colleagues who most need it.

Everyone who matters says both career and volunteer firefighters in Can-terbury rose to the call, attaining highest levels of service to their communi-ties immediately after the quake. That was the response... thousands of calls for help when brigade boundaries meant nothing as firefighters responded to assist. That was the physically demanding bit.

Then, later, came the recovery phase and realisation that wider and sus-tained damage to the community was going to take much longer to remedy. This was part of the emotionally draining side, especially when it was found there were firefighters suffering the trauma of their house knocked off its foundations, without water and sewerage, uninhabitable and likely to be condemned.

Ever since the quake struck there’s been a contest in some firefighters’ minds – who needs me most? Answer the siren and go with the fire brigade helping the community or stay at home sticking with family. Sometimes this has been a tough call.

Some volunteer firefighters have found their priority has changed. They’ve found that recovery means much more - to be at home, with family mem-bers, after realisation that they’re recovering, too. Continuing aftershocks don’t help. And, for some, this phase won’t be over until they know whether they can rebuild their shattered house where they are, or if they have to start over, move to a new address, and create a new family home.

As well as emotionally testing, they’re finding it financially draining. Already those most in need are receiving donations, proceeds of the appeal. Recipi-ents are decided only after careful consideration when certain pre-deter-mined trigger points are reached.

There are more firefighters to come who will meet the criteria - having to move house, rent premises, meet the trauma of health and welfare problems - so additional funds will be required. Every cent of all donations will be available for distribution via the UFBA Benevolent Fund. Thanks to UFBA and NZFS assistance there is no administration or other cost.

Our usual mission’s out there in the community. We are seldom called on to help ourselves. But right now it’s time to help our own. Has your Brigade donated yet? Visit www.ufba.org.nz to find out how to contribute.

Quotes from Christchurch...“It has cost us ... it’s been physically and emotionally draining, and now, financially, too.”

“Within 23 minutes of the ‘quake we could account for all our members and their families: the Fire Station became the centre of our world. We gathered there, quickly assessed each individual’s situation, ensured support where it was needed and then set about the exhaust-ing task, responding to the widespread damage in our community.”

“For some time our kids at night con-nected the sound of the fire siren with the drama of the original earthquake. They were traumatised, fearing more of those scary, shaking, moments and daddy or mummy not at home, out on the fire engine. So we turned the siren off and some of our members go K Zero at night to be with their kids”

“I went round to see how my mate was getting on. Got to the back door, up on to the patio, only to find I was eyeballing the spouting. Yes, the whole house had dropped more than a metre.”

In Brooklands, as crews worked on the clean up efforts, the road gave way from the weight of the tanker due to being undermined by liquefaction, as have many of the roads in the area.

PHOTO: Murray Burgess

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Summer is just around the corner, so check out our range of children’s apparel. Stay sun smart with a UFBA bucket hat or baseball cap. They come in a wide range of sizes and colours. Our children’s T-Shirts are another favorite for the warm-weather months. Down-load our catalogue and price list through the UFBA website at www.ufba.org.nz

Now in Season: Children’s Hats & T-ShirtsFire Shop

Canterbury Biggest Distribution Yet for UFBA Benevolent Fund The UFBA Benevolent Fund is nothing new. Since it was established in 1989 thousands of firefighters, both career and volunteer, have benefitted from the fund in times of financial difficulties resulting from, for example, sudden death in the family or a child’s prolonged illness.

Working under an established Trust Deed and with experienced trustees already in place, the UFBA Benevolent Fund was perfectly placed to provide the mechanism required to quickly assist needy Canter-bury firefighters who suffered severe effects of the earthquake.

Chairman of Trustees, Emrys Evans says it was obvious this event would cause a record call on the Fund “so we delegated authority to local UFBA people who joined a small committee, comprising UFBA, Benevolent Fund and NZFS representatives, to administer donations (including a grant from the NZFS Commission), receive applications, consider worthy recipients and distribute funds”.

PHOTOS:

Top: The march for the September 11 Memorial took place in the midst of the earthquake response, and several of the crews in Christchurch took time out to mark the occasion.

Bottom: SSO Craig Piner (Richmond) SFF Craig Cayworth (Richmond) SSO Alan Rankin (Uppermoutere) standing on the forecourt of the Bexley Garage in new Brighton, where the earthquake lifted the underground pet-rol tank out of the ground. Crews from Richmond, Oamaru, and Ashburton gave the New Brighton vollies a 48-hour break after they did an estimated 130 calls in the days after the quake.

PHOTO: Blair Hall

PHOTO: Blair Hall

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UFBA Makes Submission on Qualifications ReviewFRSITO, the New Zealand Fire and Rescue Services ITO, is currently undertaking a review of the qualifications framework. Judith Stanley, the UFBA’s representative on the National Training Standards Committee, was commissioned to put together a submission to FRSITO with input from the UFBA’s Training and Resources focus group.

Below is an excerpt taken from the submission, which highlights the UFBA’s position on various aspects of the qualifications frame-work:

Training and DevelopmentThe UFBA recognises the value of national qualifications in the development of learning pathways for volunteer firefight-ers, which are:

Achievable within a regime of learning levels

Supported by quality learning resources and flexible regimes

Provide a learning pathway which incorporates skill maintenance and development

Adequately funded for training, relevant and valued.

The UFBA recognises that quality, relevant training is essential in the development of a highly effective emergency re-sponse workforce, and for the effective engagement of individual firefighters.

QualificationsThe UFBA supports the development of a Level 2 qualification which can be achieved through recruit and quali-fied firefighter (QFF) training programmes and in conjunction with the operational skills maintenance regime, over an introductory two-year period, with flexible learning and assessment opportunities.

The UFBA supports the skill summary included in the draft Level 2 National Certificate with strands in Urban Fire and Rescue Services et al.

The UFBA supports the development of a further qualification strand which recognises and funds ongoing training for volunteer support staff, and which acknowledges skill needs and gaps. This could, for example, include all NC Level 2 unit standards, except BA units which could be replaced with other relevant skills and be still be a Level 2 qualification (i.e. National Certificate Fire and Rescue Services - Operational Support).

The UFBA supports a wider range of skill sets being recognised and funded for training, including operational sup-port roles and skills which recognise brigade profiles. These skills could include (but are not limited to):

Driver training for auxiliary vehicles (e.g. all-terrain vehicles)

Chainsaw use

Large animal rescue (noting there is no current standard in NZ, despite many brigades responding to large animal rescues which are wrought with their own risks)

USAR, including basic search techniques, building markings, collapse identification (skill sets such as those used during the Christchurch quake)

Civil defence

CIMS (Coordinated Incident Management Systems)

Advanced first aid

Specialist rescue (including cliff rescue and advanced knots and lines)

Navigation (including map reading and orientation skills)

Adult education and training

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HTC Tooling Hits the RoadHTC will be doing a roadshow with the new Lukas battery e-Draulic tools.

Catch the HTC team at the following venues/times:

Whangarei Fire Station Monday 22nd November 10.30am

Panmure Training Centre Tuesday 23rd November 8.00am

Hamilton Fire Station Wednesday 24th November 10.00am

Palmerston-North Fire Station Thursday 25th November 9.00am

Kilbirnie Training Centre Wellington 26th November 9.00am

UFBA Conference Wellington Saturday 27th - Monday 29th November (Stand 12)

Nelson Fire Station Tuesday 30th November 10.30am

Woolston Training Centre Christchurch Wednesday 1st December 9am

Dunedin Fire Station Thursday 2nd December 10.30am

With LUKAS eDRAULIC, full power comes from a power point–or from powerful batteries that will allow you to perform superior rescues off-road or in large-scale accidents.

For more information or to set up a demon-stration, email johnb@specialisedtools.co.nz

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These skills could form the basis of a Level 3 and/or 4 qualification which would scaffold toward the rank of SFF with some team leadership skill development opportunities.

UFBA also supports the development of a limited credit pre-trade qualification for secondary students through the Tertiary Education Commission’s Gateway initiative. Such a qualification could include a range of personal safety, preparedness, and response skills for school leavers ready to enter the workforce.

UFBA supports the need to offer unit standards which may not currently be managed by FRSITO, e.g. LGITO for civil defence units, SFRITO for navigation and orientation.

If you have a question or comment about this submission, or on training and resources in general, email Judith Stanley at judithms@paradise.net.nz

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NZ Firefighter Welfare Society Brigade Participation Scheme Endorsed by UFBA BoardA number of brigades have now taken the opportu-nity to enroll their entire brigade membership into the NZFF Welfare Society. The reasons for doing so are varied – some to reward their firefighters, some to help retain their firefighters, others to be part of the larger fellowship of firefighters.

As members of the Welfare Society, each member not only gains access to benefits but also helps to as-sist other firefighters and their families to increased benefits. Of the benefits available to members, the most sought after is the use of well-appointed holi-days homes and access to an affordable healthcare scheme. On the Welfare Society website, you will find how to join, along with an explanation of the brigade participation scheme. For more information, visit www.firefighters.org.nz.

The UFBA is proudly supported by: