Full firefighting strength

Press, 20 December 1985, Page 4

Full firefighting strength

Christchurch Central Fire Station is now back up to full staff strength with the addition of 15 recruits who graduated yesterday from a nine-week training course. A total of 16 recruits, one of whom will return to Nelson, graduated yesterday to become fully fledged firemen.

Vacancies had accrued in the Christchurch Brigade

over the last year because of retirements, promotions and transfers, said the assistant fire commander in charge of staff and training, Mr Shaun O’Neill.

Yesterday’s recruits were selected to become probationary firemen in April out of about 300 applicants, he said.

After six months they sat a practical and oral examination and, if they

passed, were promoted to second-class firemen, and then did the intensive training course. In nine weeks they had learnt all the basics of what they might be called upon to do as firemen, said Mr O’Neil.

This included how to handle hoses and different types of ladders, how to use pumps on fire appliances and how to

combine all these things for rescues.

The most important thing the recruits had to learn was how to be a team member.

“They came from a wide variety of jobs and had a wide range of experience before starting. “In nine weeks we had moulded them into a very, very good team,” said Mr O’Neill.