Porirua’s chief fire safety officer Russell Postlewaight said Wayne Halvorsen was a “gentleman” he was proud to have worked with.

Mr Halvorsen might be taking early retirement in April, but don’t expect that to slow him down.

The 62-year-old completed 35 years with the Fire Service on February 9 – all of it spent in Porirua and on the same watch.

His links with the service go back further, starting out as a volunteer with Titahi Bay’s brigade.

“I was a builder by trade but the opportunity came up to go full-time as a firefighter and I’ve been here ever since.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie. It’s got a good social side and you’re doing something for your community. It’s a job I’ve had a lot of satisfaction out of.”

Mr Halvorsen says the Porirua station is a sought-after posting, with not many dull moments. Titahi Bay-raised, he has spent the last 40 years living on the Kapiti Coast, but turned down the opportunity to work up there.

“I don’t like the commute, but you get used to it.

“I’ve loved being here because it’s so busy – we’re situated close to the motorway, there’s been scrub fires and school fires over the years. We had the train derailment [in Plimmerton last year] and I can remember wading out in Pauatahanui Inlet after a plane ditched in there.

“There’s been so many events and incidents I’ve attended, you lose track.”

But a knee injury last year – falling down a bank in torrential rain on the job – and getting treatment for cancer gave the well-respected firefighter pause and made the decision to retire that much easier.

“Having nine months off [with the knee] eased me into this, really, and the cancer makes you re-evaluate things.

“You get to a point in time when you have other goals in life. It will be hard to go, but I’m not just suddenly walking out the door.”

Retirement won’t be about leisurely games of golf and smelling the roses, however.

He and wife Kerrin, who have taken in overseas students from Kapiti College for many years, have planned a year-long OE.

They leave in May to visit a number of countries in South America and Europe. They have free accommodation for months, he says.

Being of Norwegian descent, he will get the opportunity to do a bit of research into his family while in that part of the world.

Once back in New Zealand, he and Kerrin intend to buy a motor home and tour the country, and maybe Australia as well.

“I’ve enjoyed the fire service immensely, these guys are like my second family.

“It’s kept me fit, I love the work and I will miss it. But I said to myself ‘the day I can’t do the job anymore, I will leave’, and it’s just time to go.”

– Kapi-Mana News

A firefighter has been injured fighting a house fire in Cannons Creek near Porirua.

The Fire Service was called to the scene on Castor Crescent about 5:20pm.

The firefighter received minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

A mother and daughter were in house at the time but escaped without injury.

TVNZ.co.nz

A firefighter received a suspected broken ankle when he apparently fell down stairs while battling a house fire at Cannons Creek in Porirua this morning.

A passer-by who heard a smoke alarm called the Fire Service about 8am this morning.

A fire officer at the scene told ONE News two adults and two children were in the Gloucester Street house at the time of the fire, but they got out safely.

A firefighter appeared to have fallen down the stairs and was taken to hospital with a suspected broken ankle.

Police cordoned off the area while emergency services attended the fire.

The fire was brought under control and Fire Safety officers will investigate the cause.

TVNZ.co.nz

With blood surging out of Blair Marriott’s right leg, it was vital the flow had to be stopped urgently.

Potentially on the brink of death, he yelled at someone to help him tie some sort of tourniquet.

Mr Marriott had just been involved in a horrific motor accident after an out-of-control car drove into him.

Earlier, the 37-year-old Porirua firefighter had finished work at his secondary employment, Woodman Automotive, in Waikanae, on the afternoon of December 3rd.

He was riding home to Paraparaumu on his Honda XR250 motorbike, looking forward to seeing his fiancee and his dogs.

Mr Marriott was following a station wagon westbound in Otaihanga Road.

They passed a rubbish transfer station, a mountain bike park and he remembers looking at the speedometer – it was under 70kmh.

The roads speed limit is 80kmh.

His life was about to change has they entered a winding stretch of the road.

His memory of the crash is vivid.

“I saw the driver of an oncoming car had lost control of the rear of the car.

“She over-corrected and drove into the station wagon in front of me.

“I tried to gas it to get out of the way but she hit the side of the bike head-on with her car.

“I remember the hit – it was very hard and sudden.”

He was flung onto the bonnet, into the windscreen and turned over and over, ending up in a heap in some bushes.

“And then I saw my leg hanging off.”

Blood was spurting out like a fountain. He shouted for someone to try to make a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, because he knew the flow of blood had to be stopped urgently.

A young man at the scene took off his own trousers and used them as a makeshift tourniquet.

“Whoever did that I would certainly like to talk to them and thank them.”

Emergency services were soon on the scene and then a Westpac Rescue Helicopter airlifted him to Wellington Hospital.

Two medical teams worked on him for nine hours. He received nine units of blood.

The injuries were significant. His right leg was in such a bad way that it had to be amputated from just above the knee. There were breaks in his right arm. His left wrist had turned into “cornflakes” according to a doctor.

A bone graft from his hip to his wrist as well as plates takes place tomorrow. The left leg was shattered and now has multiple plates and screws holding it together.

Fortunately Mr Marriott received no upper body injuries at all.

Paracetamol is the only painkiller he is now taking.

 Mr Marriott, a firefighter based in Porirua, said he had received tremendous support when the accident happened and in the days after.

“The biggest heartfelt thanks I can.

“Especially my fiancee Allana Glassner. Without her I would be so many steps behind.

Mr Marriott has a positive outlook and says the accident isn’t going to hold him back.

Getting back on a motorbike was on the agenda as was getting back to work.

Mr Marriott said the driver of the vehicle who crashed into him had not been in touch.

he said the road wasn’t the issue, it was more about the way people were driving.

“People just need to be far more sensible.”

Porirua News  By David Haxton

A 10-year-old boy set on fire at Mungavin Park will require skin grafts to repair his burned face and neck, following “a stupid act” that never should have occurred, says his father.

Tepana Matthews spent much of last week in Hutt Hospital, after the incident near the Mungavin tennis courts on December 5.

Tepana and his friend were playing at the park and were pressured into sniffing gas with some older boys, thought to be 13 or 14 years old, said his father Tim.

“Tepana didn’t want to, so he pretended and tipped the gas out but some of it spilt on him. Then one of these kids lit a match.”

When Tepana’s face caught fire the other kids ran away, but another child nearby, who had witnessed the assault, came over and put the flames out. The fire brigade and an ambulance were called, as were Tepana’s parents.

“It was unbelievable. I was shocked when I got the news,” Mr Matthews said. “You just don’t think something like this will happen when your boy and his friend go down to play in their local park. It’s not fair, just a stupid act.”

One of the older boys involved was apprehended by police as Tepana knew his name. Porirua Community Constable and youth liaison Peer Nielsen said it was likely charges would be laid in the youth court.

Tepana is now home from hospital, awaiting news on whether skin grafts or surgery will be required.

Mr Matthews did not want his son photographed by the media but showed Kapi-Mana News a picture of Tepana, showing the severe extent of the burns.

Along with the psychological impact, Tepana will have to deal with the physical marks he now bears, with one ear completely blackened.

“He seems okay. Every day is less painful for him. But he will have a scar on the side of his face for a long time and it’s going to be hard for him to deal with that,” said Mr Matthews. “It will be a long road, but he will have plenty of support. Tepana will be king of the castle at home.”

Mr Nielsen said while gas and glue-sniffing does occur, it is not very frequent.

“Kids often don’t know what they’re doing and don’t realise the consequences of their actions. For something like this to happen is terrible, but it’s not a trend in Porirua or anything. It’s kids being stupid and pressuring other people into it.”

Mr Matthews is certain his son was coaxed into doing something he didn’t want to.

“I know my son doesn’t do that sort of thing, but when you’re that age and an older, bigger kid tells you to do something, you do it.”

Along with having the older boy “taken off the streets”, he said it is important people keep an eye out for suspicious activity in local parks and reserves.

“I know this is something else that isn’t a good look for Porirua, but I don’t think it’s something that happens regularly. But our community still needs to be aware of it.”

stuff.co.nz

Firefighters this morning battled a blaze in a Porirua East apartment block.

Four fire trucks attended the fire on Champion Street in Porirua East, said David Meikle, a Fire Service spokesman.

The apartment, one of four in the block, was alight when the fire service arrived at the scene.

The fire service received a call about the fire at 8.51am today.

The cause of the fire was not yet known.

Stuff.co.nz

It was a “surprisingly quiet” Guy Fawkes weekend for Porirua’s fire service, says chief fire safety officer Russell Postlewaight  but the smoke has yet to clear as staff keep a close eye out for arsons in schools.

“It was business as usual which comes down to four things: the weather, the reduced time that people could buy fireworks, more public displays and various safety campaigns,” said Mr Postlewaight.

“Keeping the awareness there all the time, we end up with a pretty safe Guy Fawkes, but it’s the only time of the year where people can wilfully light a fire and that’s when you run into trouble.”

The average number of callouts doubles for the fire service at this time of year with up to 10 arsons a month at schools in October, November and December.

Vegetation or nuisance fires at schools account for a further 15 to 20 calls per month.

“They’re a soft target for anybody wanting to go start a fire.

“We just have to be more vigilant,” Mr Postlewaight says.

He says children’s heightened awareness of, and access to, matches, lighters and incendiaries contribute to the cause.

National fire investigation and arson reduction manager Peter Wilding says schools should be acting to improve their fire safety.

“We recommend that all principals take action when staff see children lighting fires or when small fires are lit in or around the school.

“This fire-setting behaviour is dangerous and the fire service has a very successful intervention programme available that schools can call on.”

An early sign of an imminent arson attack is an increase in vandalism or graffiti, he says.

Any fires should be reported to the fire service and serious vandalism should be referred to the police.

Kapi Mana News Esther Lauaki

The mettle of three Porirua volunteer firefighters will be tested when they compete for a national title next month.Matt Vendt, David Knowles and Tai Kairua head to Christchurch for the Firefighter Combat Challenge on October 1.
The event is known as the toughest two minutes in sport.
The two-day event, comprised of five challenges and organised by the United Fire Brigade Association, is described as the ultimate contest for Kiwi firefighters.
Wearing full bunker gear and breathing apparatus, teams must:
* Undertake a six-storey climb carrying a 19-kilogram length of hose
* Hoist another hose coil six storeys
* Chop a beam with a shot hammer and drive it 1.5 metres
* Use a charged length of hose to knock down a disc with water
* Drag a 90kg dummy 30m to the finish.
Mr Vendt says the challenges in the competition simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting.
“Sometimes we’ll be in the middle of training and we’ll get a call out and have to cut it short.
“But that’s all good training too, plus it gets the adrenaline pumping,” he says.
“We’ve got a couple more sessions before the challenge so that should put us on line for the competition.”
The trio have about nine years’ firefighting experience between them and “are looking to bring home the title”, he says.

Kapi-Mana : Esther Lauaki

A fire beside railway tracks on the Paraparaumu line between Porirua and Wellington has halted trains.

KiwiRail spokesman David Knight said the fire was reported at 6pm, south of Porirua.

“Although this was put out by the fire service, it seems that vandalism may have been a factor and repairs to trackside equipment are required this evening.”

Southbound trains on the Paraparaumu line have been stopped at Porirua and buses arranged to take passengers to Wellington, he said.

“We apologise for the delay to our passengers caused by this trackside incident. Trains will be running as normal by Thursday morning.”

stuff.co.nz

While local firefighters were saving homes from the blaze that encompassed much of Whitireia Park on February 21st, someone saw it as opportunity to steal from them.
A portable pump left behind at Shelly Bay when firefighters moved up towards Titahi Golf Course, was stolen between 5pm and 7pm, says Sergeant Martin Tunley of Porirua Police.
“While these guys were out working bloody hard trying to do thier job, some lowlife has gone and stolen the pump.”
Valued at $10,000, the Fire Master 22 pump is about 600mm x 600mm and weighs 87kg when empty.
The pump is expressly used by fire departments and Mr Tunley implores the community to contact him should they know of anyone trying to sell or store the machine.
Anyone with information pertaining to the theft should call 2381400

UPDATE:  The pump has been found after an anonymous tip to Police.