The Herbertville Fire Station in Tararua needs more volunteers. Photo / James Harold.
The Herbertville Fire Station in Tararua needs more volunteers. Photo / James Harold.
An urgent plea to the community has been made by a local Tararua firefighter who says now is the time to step up and give back to a once vital and thriving service.
Located 70km east of Dannevirke, the station on Seaview Rd services Herbertville and the surrounding coastalarea, and is the closest option during an emergency.
Volunteer firefighter James Harold, from the brigade, posted to a local Facebook page highlighting the low volunteer situation.
“We were down to two qualified [firefighters], one support person and two recruits, but since I made that post, I have three more new recruits and have one more qualified person to transfer to Herbertville Brigade.”
Harold, who had volunteered with the station since 2022, said he attributed the drop in numbers to people retiring and moving away from the area.
The Herbertville Fire Station in Tararua needs more volunteers. Photo / James Harold.
“People have been doing it for decades, and they are stepping down and it’s time for other people to step up.
“It used to be thriving ... I’m looking to bring it back to how it should be.”
He said the more people, the better it was for the community when it came to supporting rural fire stations, that way it ensured someone was able to respond, given the nearest stations were at Pōrangahau or Weber.
“By the time people get to the station and get ready, you are looking near on an hour before they get out to Herbertville, and an hour if a fire is burning is a long time.”
He said no prior skills were needed to join, as everything needed could be learned through courses they completed.
“We don’t have that many call-outs, but when you need the emergency services, you need them.
“It’s all about being ready if something goes wrong.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand group manager Tony Kelly said, after discussions with the brigade, they agreed to run a recruitment drive.
“All Fire and Emergency’s volunteer stations must have enough personnel to safely crew any truck or vehicle, rotate responders, maintain training, and meet incident response protocols.”
Kelly said the number of personnel required varied by station, risk profile, geography, and expected incident levels.
At Herbertville, seven firefighters were needed.
“There are currently two volunteers, and two people have expressed interest in joining.”
He said if a station cannot attract and retain enough trained volunteers to meet Fire and Emergency’s minimum operational and safety standards, then its current operational model would not be sustainable.
“That does not automatically mean the station would be shut down. Fire and Emergency would follow a structured, consultative process to determine the most appropriate and safe way to continue supporting the Herbertville community.”
Earlier this year, the brigade’s truck was replaced with a fit-for-purpose 4WD ute equipped with firefighting capability, along with the existing rural trailer.
“This will ensure the brigade continues to have the appropriate equipment and support to respond effectively to local emergencies.”
Kelly said a meeting will be held with the brigade at the end of this month to assess progress.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
