Summer Fire Advice for Rural Residents

With warmer and drier days coming the Fire Service and New Plymouth District Council have some tips to help rural residents prepare for any developments.

“Some of these tips are very simple and yet will be of significant benefit if we are called out to a fire in a rural area,” says Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Nicholls.

“Rural residents should ensure their Rapid number is clear of vegetation and can be seen easily from the road.

“They can also clear vegetation and cut back overhanging trees from access tracks so that we have a clear run to get our vehicles to the buildings on their property.”

A new national code of practice also recommends that rural residents have an easily accessible alternative water supply – other than a stream or a swimming pool – for fire safety purposes.

The code also recommends that water tanks have four different types of water couplings attached, to ensure that fire appliances can access the water.

“The code’s recommendations aren’t mandatory, but they would improve our ability to respond to a rural fire,” says Mr Nicholls.

Last summer was the third-driest since records began at New Plymouth Airport in January 1976, with rural residents striking problems with getting rid of rubbish during the fire ban.

NPDC Principle Rural Fire Officer Lester Barnes says many rural residents burn household rubbish in a pit or a bare open space, neither of which are allowed during a fire ban.

“It looks like we could well have another dry summer this year, but rural residents can solve their rubbish disposal problem now by building a simple incinerator on their properties,” says Mr Barnes.

“All they need is a container with a lid and a chimney. That changes an open fire to an enclosed fire, which can be operated even if a fire prohibition is in place.”

Meanwhile, the Fire Service is also encouraging businesses in urban areas to display their street address on their buildings.

“Many companies use post office boxes for their mail communications so don’t see a need to show their street address to passers-by, but it makes it a lot easier for the Fire Service to get to the right commercial premise if they can see street numbers from the road,” says Mr Barnes.

“At the end of the day it’s about the safety of employees, and the simple step of businesses displaying their street numbers would be of significant help to the Fire Service.”

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