NZ Fire Fighters To Assist State Of Victoria

NATIONAL RURAL FIRE AUTHORITY

New Zealand Fire Fighters To Assist State Of Victoria

12 February, 2009

The Department of Sustainability and Environment in Victoria, Australia yesterday made a formal request to the National Rural Fire Authority for support from New Zealand to assist with management of a number of large uncontained wildfires in State lands of Victoria say New Zealands National Rural Fire Officer, Murray Dudfield.

A team of 52 fire fighters, crew leaders and Incident Management Team members from the following organisations across New Zealand will meet and leave from Auckland mid afternoon Friday [13th] aboard a New Zealand Defence Force plane: The following agencies have release staff for this Australian wildfire deployment:

Southern Rural Fire Authority (Invercargill) one crew of five
Dunedin City Council one crew of five
Waimea Rural Fire Authority (Nelson) one crew of five
Auporui/Karikari Rural Fire Authourity (Northland) - one crew of five
Department of Conservation (Christchurch/Auckland/Southland/Rotorua/
Palmerston North/Taranaki/Nelson) - three crews of five
New Zealand Defence Force one crew of five
Pumicelands Rural Fire Authority (Rotorua) one crew of five
West Coast Rural Fire Authority one crew of five
Jock Darragh - Wellington City Council Aircraft Manager
Kevin Ihaka - Auporui/Karikari Rural Fire Authourity Operations Manager
Rachael Thorp - Department of Conservation Field Liaison Officer
Richard MaNamara - Department of Conservation Aircraft Manager
Jim Herdman Department of Conservation Divisional Supervisor
Trevor Tidey - Southern Rural Fire Authority Divisional Supervisor
Alan Thompson National Rural Fire Authority Information Officer

In addition one New Zealand Liaison Officer from the National Rural Fire Authority is already in Melbourne along with a Bushfire Research Scientist from SCION in Christchurch.

The NZ fire fighters and managers have been chosen for their remote high country and forestry firefighting experience. They will be required to walk into the remote wildfires in forested lands which will involve dry firefighting with hand tools and machinery along with back burning tasks. These wildfires occurred as a result of last weekends devastating bushfires and some still remain uncontrolled says Mr Dudfield.

The deployment is from 13th February to approximately the end of February. A second contingent of a similar number from New Zealand will most likely be requested to replace this group at that time.

I will hold a brief media conference at the Sky Care terminal in Auckland airport at 1.45pm prior to the departure of the 52 fire fighters, crew leaders and Incident Management Team members to Melbourne says Mr Dudfield.

ends

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