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The Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade is putting out a call for more volunteers after a recent drop in crew numbers has increased pressure on the team.
Like the surrounding stations in Wellsford, Matakana, Mahurangi East, Leigh and Ahuroa, Warkworth’s brigade is staffed entirely by volunteers – from the chief down. These dedicated locals respond to emergencies including structure and scrub fires, car crashes, animal rescues, medical events, flooding and storm damage.
The brigade currently has 25 members, but says it ideally needs another five or six to keep operations running smoothly. Last year they attended 300 incidents, and they have already responded to 192 so far this year.
Due to fewer members, the usual four-week crew cycle has been reduced to three weeks, meaning more frequent callouts for each volunteer.
“We decided to make a video to show the kinds of incidents we attend, what it’s like to be a volunteer, and what sort of people we’re looking for,” a spokesperson says.
The video, created in collaboration with local filmmaker Jon Waters, features interviews and footage from training nights.
The brigade trains at the station on Church Hill, every Tuesday at 7.30pm and is looking for a variety of roles – from operational firefighters and support crew to administrative help. Operational members must live within five minutes of the station and commit to weekly training, plus evening and weekend callouts one week in three or four.
Anyone interested is encouraged to visit the station on a Tuesday night to meet the team and learn more. The recruitment video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/1XLYF4D55HY.
