Te Awamutu fire brigade receives new training dummy from local Lions club

Ōhaupō Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club members Rob Mourits (from left), Dianne Mitchell, Ross Karl (treasurer) and Charlie Anainga (president) flank Te Awamutu Voluntary Fire Brigade firefighters Rob Wiley, Lisa Atkinson, Jodi Reymer and Ian Campbell (chief fire officer) after accepting their new Rescue Randy training dummy.

The Te Awamutu Voluntary Fire Brigade received a new energy boost for their Firefighter Challenge training as the Ōhaupō Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club donated a $6100 Rescue Randy training dummy.

Training dummies are a valuable resource for brigade members’ training, particularly for the Firefighter Challenge - an annual Iron Man-like contest which many Te Awamutu members compete in.

After competing at the Firefighter Challenge World Championships last year, senior firefighter Rob Wiley and fellow competitor Jodi Reymer were asked at an Ōhaupō Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club meeting to speak about their experiences.

“They mentioned that their Rescue Randy dummy was well and truly worn out. We picked up on the idea of buying them one. Rescue Randy came from the United States and has taken a few months to arrive, but he’s here,” Ōhaupō Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club treasurer Ross Karl said.

“We had assistance from the Lions Banking Trust (Central North Island) and Randy has been greatly received. The fire brigade are rapt.”

Wiley said for a small Lions club to show interest in the brigade’s ventures was “warming”.

Ōhaupō Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club members Rob Mourits (from left), Dianne Mitchell, Ross Karl (treasurer) and Charlie Anainga (president) with the Rescue Randy training dummy donated to the Te Awamutu Voluntary Fire Brigade.

“At the Firefighter Challenge World Championship, Jodi placed third in the world in women’s and in my age group I came ninth,” Wiley said.

“To our surprise, the Lions decided to donate the whole [Rescue Randy] unit. It was $6500 or thereabouts including the shipping. It was overwhelming, amazing really.

“We as volunteers do a lot of things for the community and we don’t expect anything back, but for something like that to come back to us is warming.”

The New Zealand Firefighter Challenge season is from March through to May, so the Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire team is well underway with training and are excited to be able to continue this with a brand new dummy.

Chief fire officer Ian Campbell said Te Awamutu firefighters are lucky to have the facilities at their station to set up a training course, which finishes with a 30m drag of Rescue Randy.

“Our current training dummies have had years of dragging along the course, and many repairs done over that time, so it’s great to be able to continue with this competition training with new equipment,” Campbell said.

The dummies are also used for general training and rescue programmes.

“We have lots of recruits and experienced members that will benefit using the dummy when simulating rescues,” Wiley said.

“People drag them around to help with fitness. It gives the same simulation of going into a house fire and pulling a body out. It will benefit the whole community in the long run.”

Ōhaupō Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club overview

⦁ The club was chartered in 1977 and two chartered members are still active.

⦁ There are 18 current members.

⦁ Their main fundraising activity is the catering caravan.

⦁ For 42 years, the club have fundraised at the Fieldays. Look out for them at one of the food courts this year.

⦁ In 2022-2023, $19,000 was donated to various local people and organisations.

⦁ In the 2023-2024 financial year to date, $9000 has been donated.

⦁ Some money comes from the Lions Banking Trust, a trust set up for any surplus funds that the Lions club’s hold to draw on future projects.