MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

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Through our association with the New Zealand Fire Service ,FRFANZ members are now able to benefit from these  additional new benefits and services. Access to the wide range of benefits offered by the Firefighters Welfare Society, Credit Union Services, and the NZFS Sports Council events and competitions, are now available to FRFANZ members as we work together to enhance member benefits and provide greater opportunities for interaction between fire fighter members.

FRFANZ encourages members to visit the links below and take advantage of these new opportunities.

NZ Firefighters Credit Union
Personal Development
NZ Fire Service
NZ QA
Public Information
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 SERVICE HONOURS

Silver Medal and Bars

Gold Star and Bars

Conditions and procedure to be followed to enable the award of the Service Medal

  1. The Medal (and/or Bars) is available to active rural firefighters who are members of FRFANZ, or members of rural fire forces or organisations that are FRFANZ members. The medal may be awarded after the firefighter has completed three years’ active service, and each subsequent three year period of active service entitles the firefighter to a bar to the medal.
  2. The application form includes a signed statement attesting to the qualification of the firefighters.
  3. Note that the same period of service cannot be used to claim both UFBA and FRFANZ Service Honours.  
  4. Should a FRFANZ Medal holder become a NZFS firefighter, the National Commander has approved (9.2.10) that the FRFANZ Service Honours can be worn with UFBA Honours on the NZFS undress uniform.
  5. Depending on stock, delivery should be prompt. Any delays will be advised. Orders will only be accepted if accompanied by the appropriate payment [Silver medal $50.00 each, Silver bar $12.50 each, Gold medal $75.00 each, 50 years Service star $100, Gold bar $12.50 each, postage per order $5.00 + GST] with engraving being the responsibility of the orderer.

It is suggested that rural fire organisations order service awards once a year, and hold an appropriate social occasion (‘Honours Night’) during which the awards are presented. Medals are to be worn on the left side of a jacket. Enquiries should be directed to Graeme McIntyre.

Conditions and procedure to be followed to enable the award of the Service Star

  1. The Management Committee may grant the award of the FRFANZ Service Star in recognition of meritorious rural fire service to any rural firefighter, or rural fire officer, provided that at least 75% of its members approve the award.
  2. Any application for the award must be in writing to the Secretary, detailing the claim for meritorious service. Once awarded, a purchase order should be placed.
  3. The application may be lodged by a Committee Member, on behalf of FRFANZ.
  4. In respect of long rural fire service, a period of 25 or 50 years will be an accepted criterion establishing meritorious service, provided good conduct has been maintained. If the award is made for 25 years fire service,  the recipient will cease to wear the FRFANZ Service Medal  and Bars.  If the award is made for 50 years fire service,  the recipient will cease to wear any previously awarded FRFANZ Service Star and Bars. The recipient will be entitled to add a gold Service Bar to the Star ribbon for each successive three year period following the award of the Star.  
  5. If the period of 25 or 50 years is mixed NZFS and rural fire service, the Committee may grant the award, provided the applicant is still in rural fire service, and that this service amounts to more than half of the qualifying period. In this case, the recipient will not be entitled to additional gold Service Bars until 3 years after the qualifying period of rural fire service has been completed.

Medal Application Form

TECHNICAL TIPS

Nozzle Flow Rates-

Unless you correctly match pump performance and nozzles, you can easily stuff up hoseline deliveries. All red plastic branches are not equal. Bob King, West Melton, has provided his test measurements as a guide.

Electricity Engineers Association (EEA) Guide to Electrical Safety for Emergency Services Personnel

Novel Retrofit for tank baffles-

These can be used to convert an ordinary tanker into a more stable vehicle for the road, even if the tank is only partly filled.

Beach fires – pumping out of the sea
After three driftwood fires on the windswept beach south of Wainuiomata, the FC was determined to come up with a better SOP. For those who haven’t, extinguishing driftwood fires is very time consuming. The fuel is very dry, and burns fiercely, so much so that rocks will shatter when the cold water hits them. The fires spread readily, but not with any great speed.

The first two fires were dealt to with tank supplies, appliances shuttling water. The third was within 50m of the Orongorongo River estuary, and portable pumps were used. This proved that, irrespective of the use of Class A foam, what you need is heaps of water. Water, water everywhere ie. the sea, and not a drop to squirt! 

Not anymore. On 1 Feb., the Bushfire Force tried a new SOP using equipment readily available. Through previous Jap pumpers, we had three 8m lengths of suction (normally coiled on the side of ther appliances). Coupled, that gives 24m. Problem is: stick it in the waves, and it will usually washed back onto shore. Solution: lash two extending ladders together, and lash the suctiononto that. On a wave ebb, run it into the sea, and charge back hoping you don’t get soaked. Couple it into a self-priming trash pump (there’ll be sand), and you’ve got enough constant volume for 4 forestry deliveries. Don’t worry about branches – they’ll probably clog up with sand – because you don’t have to throw the water far. If you need to project it, just twist the end of the forestry hose. And if you do have to pump it far, run the water into a dam, and use Wajaxes out of the dam (no sand in high performance pumps).Foam works with salt water, if you need it.

Our first attempt can be improved on. There should have been a clovehitch and half hitches to lash the suction to the ladders. The photo shows two plastic containers attached to the strainer end to give the sea end some buoyancy with the idea of being able to push the assembly out into the deep without getting wet. That didn’t work – the end swung around into the shore. We could have tried leaving the caps off so the buoyancy was gradually lost. An alternative strategy might be to have a couple of strong lads take the erect assembly to the water’s edge, and allow the other end to flop into the sea. A line should be attached to the shore end of the ladder to assist in hauling the assembly out. 

These are refinements. The technique works, and we have the trash pump and additional two suction lengths on a trailer, ready to roll to the next beach fire. The other gear required is normally carried to all fires as part of our normal deployment.

Software Tools
Scion have released software containing tools to calculate fire behaviour of NZ fuels. These are available for free-of-charge download at www.scionresearch.com/fire. For those that prefer to use lookup tables, there is a manual for predicting fire behaviour at a cost of $45 plus postage. Order from publications@scion research.com. One complimentary copy will be provided to each RFA.

Firefighting chemicals 

RFA’s are required to have Safety Data Sheets on hand at each depot. NZ suppliers have yet to provide these. The above provides a link to US SDS’s that will do in the interim.

Mark III Wajax Evaluation
The Robin EC17DFF motor that has powered the (Mark V) Wajax pump for many years is being phased out. One of the possible replacements is to revert back to the Mark III motor that was rejected by NZ authorities back in the 70’s. The Mark III motor has continued to be used in Canada and the US, and has not marked time in that period. You can download a modern evaluation undertaken by Lindsay Golding of DOC.