Last weekend the volunteers of the Baxter Fire Brigade had the opportuniy to provide gate security for the State Trials that were held at Baxter Park. I would like to thank those members that were able to commit to some fairly cold and damp conditions over night and during the day. The club provided well with hot drinks, meals and a good supply of wood for the fire. hundreds of people came through the gates during the weekend and it was good to see many Baxter locals come up and say hello to the fireys, including some retired members and officers of the Brigade. A big thank also to the Pearcedale Brigade that were able to fill a number of shifts over the weekend.  The pony club also provided both fire brigades with a substantial donation which we are all very greatful for.

The Brigade elections have been completed. A new team of officers will commence work on 1 July with Rod Taylor as 1st Lieutenant, Damian Willmott 2nd, Derek Chugg 3rd, and Dan Reinhardt 4th. Secretary David Hartigan and Treasurer Peter Furze and Communications Officer Ian Winterton remain in thier previous roles.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing officers, being Neale Hutcheon and Orson Johnstone for the work they have done for our community over the time they have spent assisting with the running of our volunteer fire brigade.

Winter is just about here and the smoke coming from the chimneys around town tells me that the temperature inside the houses is dropping fast.

Have you checked the fireplaces and had the chimneys swept?  Are the seals on the doors of the fireplaces still OK?  Does the screen in front of the open fire cover the whole hole?  Are the fire bricks intact and not missing or cracked?

AND HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR SMOKE ALARMS?

Please spend a couple of minutes and click on the link below that will take you to the current New Zealand Fire Service TV commercial.

It is a very powerful use of pathos and emotion.

http://vimeo.com/38534872

FIRE SAFETY STARTS AT HOME.

Just because some one "thinks" that it is OK to burn off , doesn't means it is. The Brigade has been called to a number of burn offs over the last month or so and every one of them has been illegal. We are not the Police or the Council Local Laws Officer, so we explained the situation and made sure the fire are extinguished.

Some of the burn offs have been on road sides, some have been burning stuff other than vegetation, many have been during strong winds and all of them have been outside the Council Law in terms of time, proximatey to other vegetation or in locations that require a permit.

We don't like being called out to these as much as the community does not want us there.  The solution is easy, ask the Council for approval and if they issue a permit then it is OK.

Do the right thing and keep us all a bit safer.