Ag 02 june, 2015

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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

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Calls take toll on firefighters BY DAISY HUDSON

DAISY.H@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ

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The number of fatal incidents attended by Ashburton firefighters has risen by a staggering 450 per cent in just two years. Firefighters are being called to an increasing number of medical assists and accidents, sometimes as first responders. Local firefighters say that has taken a mental toll on fire crews and it is vital that support services stay up to scratch. Ashburton fire risk management officer Murray Cairns said the figure was announced at a meeting last week in Christchurch with a fire service welfare representative. Mr Cairns said Ashburton had the biggest increase in the entire Mid/

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South Canterbury area, followed by Waimate. The number of callouts to fatalities varied, from none for weeks to two calls in one day. “We don’t go to chimney fires like we used to any more, however we’ve got all of these medical calls,” he said. Rakaia Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Tyrone Burrowes said in smaller towns such as Rakaia, it was not uncommon for firefighters to know the people they were attending to. “We had a case there a few weeks ago, an elderly gentleman had a heart attack and obviously we were called to assist,” he said. “Most of us did know of him, but you’ve still got a job to do, whether you know them or not.”

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Mr Burrowes said the fire service provided “excellent” support services when needed. “There are those that deal with it and don’t need any support, but others obviously do require support,” he said. One of the challenges was getting those that did need support to speak up. Ashburton chief fire officer Alan Burgess said the increase reflected the changing nature of the job. He believed it was important that people were aware that support services were available. “It used to be, you know the terminology was that you were 10-foot tall and bulletproof,” he said. “Gone are the days where it’s just, you know, get over it and sort yourself out.” Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe!

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Ag 02 june, 2015 by Ashburton Guardian - Issuu