Te Puke Firefighters install smoke alarms

Brigade and community members at Hei Marae after the smoke alarm installations in Manoeka.

Te Puke firefighters have turned fire alarm installers.

Twenty brigade members gave up their Saturday morning recently to install about 180 smoke alarms in houses in Manoeka.

Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Ivon Pilcher said the idea to offer to install the alarms came after a number of house fires in the district, a couple of which were in the Manoeka area.

''We've had several house fires in the last six months and most related to no smoke alarms installed or smoke alarms that were installed but were poorly maintained,'' he says.

He got together with fire risk manager John Rewi.

''We decided we would try to assist communities with the installation of smoke alarms and that's where we started.''

He got in touch with Carliza Patuawa (Tapuika, Waitaha, Ngati Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Whakaue) from Ngā Mataapuna Oranga who liaised with the community.

''The installation of smoke alarms will assist in addressing fire safety concerns,'' she says.

''This year we have had an increase in callouts to Manoeka Rd for fire incidents so when Ivon approached us to discuss the safety concerns and that they were keen to come out and install smoke alarms in all the bedrooms of the homes for our Waitaha whānau on Manoeka Rd, we jumped at the opportunity to keep our whānau safe.''

She says the initiative has been well received.

''It has enabled us to build a trusting relationship with Te Puke Fire Brigade. It has also been a vehicle that allows us to continue to build on strengthening relationships with and between our whānau of Waitaha.

''A big thank you to [fire chief] Glenn [Williams], Ivon and the rest of the Te Puke Fire Brigade Team.''

Ivon says the brigade intends to organise another alarm installation day, this time in the Waitangi area.