Fit for purpose buildings for rural firemen

Rural fire volunteers could be housed in a fit-for-purpose building on Hastings Fire Station land in Maraekakaho Rd if investigations prove it feasible.

Hastings District Council, under which the rural fire service runs, voted on Tuesday (May 26) to “support in principle” reallocating the $100,000 it has put away for improvements to its elderly Lyndon Rd rural fire shed to a new facility on vacant land owned by the NZ Fire Service, next to the fire station.

An additional $60,000 toward the new building could be available from the New Zealand Fire Service Grant Assistance scheme.

It was estimated the new building would cost about $120,000.

The current rural fire building has several problems, including needing earthquake strengthening and being too small.

A staff report said the Heretaunga Rural Fire Shed, next to the main council building on Lyndon Rd, housed the Heretaunga Rural Fire Force and the Hawke’s Bay Volunteer Rescue Squad and all their gear, plus Civil Defence supplies and emergency management trailers. Some gear had to be stored in “a damp shipping container” or outside.

“Due to lack of space the radio communications trailer is jammed in the shed between a fire tanker and a fire appliance and the rescue vehicle is stored in an adjacent lean-to,” the report said.

The rural fire move had the blessing of both the area manager and regional commander of the NZ Fire Service, and the Hastings volunteer rural fire fighters, council heard.

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