The Pāpāmoa fire station's siren has been silenced at night, permanently, despite strong community support to keep it. Photo / File
The Pāpāmoa fire station's siren has been silenced at night, permanently, despite strong community support to keep it. Photo / File
Pāpāmoa fire station's emergency siren has now been permanently silenced at night despite strong support from the community.
Fire and Emergency NZ confirmed the decision to the Bay of Plenty Times today after meeting with the brigade last week.
Pagers and cellphones are typically the primary alert system for NewZealand volunteer fire brigades such as Pāpāmoa which involves firefighters dropping what they're doing to head to the station in urgent response. Sirens are considered a failsafe system if the pagers and phones don't work.
FENZ Bay of Plenty coast area manager Kevin Cowper said the management team met with the volunteer brigade on February 9 to discuss the siren's fate.
"The brigade decided at this meeting to make the silencing of the siren overnight permanent," he said.
In October, the Bay of Plenty Times first revealed the Pāpāmoa volunteer fire brigade was subject to a six-week trial of operating without the siren at night after a single complaint that it disturbed a resident.
A response to an official information request since then confirmed plans to make the nightly silencing permanent.
The potential of silencing the siren prompted a petition of about 8000 signatories who pleaded for the siren to remain the area's primary alert system.
Cowper said the siren was not the only means of alerting volunteer firefighters. It was "part of a suite of alerting systems".
"This decision was based on the fact that figures showed silencing the siren between 10pm and 6am had had no impact on response times and the Pāpāmoa Volunteer Fire Brigade continued to respond to emergencies in their area in a timely manner."
The fate of the Pāpāmoa station's siren follows that of the siren at Ngongotahā's fire station, near Rotorua, which was turned off in July after a single complaint.
Since June 1 to Agust 31, 2020 - before the siren was silenced overnight - there were 15 callouts between 10pm and 6am.
The average time taken from the first alert to the fire truck leaving the station was six minutes and four seconds.
From September 8, 2020 to February 8, 2021, there were 23 call outs between 10pm and 6 am.
The average time taken from first alert to the fire truck leaving the station was five minutes 50 seconds.
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller says the decision to permanently silence the Papamoa fire siren at night as 'arrogant in the extreme'. Photo / File
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller said FENZ had essentially rebuked the Pāpāmoa community.
"They are tone-deaf to the community that they say they serve.
"It's arrogant in the extreme. I'm hugely disappointed."
Muller referred to the online petition which called for the siren to remain as it was. It has gained 8280 signatories.
"To have more than 8000 submissions in a population of Pāpāmoa is a huge reaction. In my time as the local MP, this is the strongest reaction from people to a single issue I've seen."
Muller said he doubted the brigade had much choice in the decision, which he believed came about from a "one-way" conversation.
He will be meeting with Minister of Internal Affairs and Tauranga-based list MP Jan Tinetti next week to discuss the matter, he said.
Muller said he had no issue with the person who made the original complaint, saying he respected they were able to and that they did. It was the response from Fire and Emergency NZ that he took issue with.
Papamoa Residents and Ratepayers' Association chairman Philip Brown says he's amazed support for keeping the local fire siren was 'ignored'. Photo / File
Muller said he would like to see the decision overturned.
Tinetti said she was glad so many people were keen to support volunteer firefighters.
"I'm looking forward to meeting with Todd and examining the evidence FENZ provides - showing that since removing the siren in Pāpāmoa, firefighters have actually responded more quickly," she said.
Papamoa Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Philip Brown said he was amazed the support for keeping the siren was "ignored".
"If 8000 voices can't get a positive result, what does the public have to do for it?"
Brown said the siren should be retained "so volunteers can hear it and also, it makes the community aware that an emergency is happening".
"It's important for people to know we have a volunteer fire brigade in Pāpāmoa."
Brigade fire chief Aaron King confirmed there had been a meeting but declined to comment further.
