Russell Green, front, is one of two remaining founding volunteers.
The Puhoi Volunteer Fire Brigade needs more volunteers to continue keeping the community safe. The brigade is opening its doors to prospective volunteers on Monday, July 5, from 7pm to 9pm.
It is a chance to take a tour of the station, see the equipment and meet the crew to learn about different voluntary roles available.
Rural controller Russell Green was among the founding members of the brigade 14 years ago.
“We started the brigade because the nearest one was over 15 kilometres away and our community needed to be protected,” he says.
“It was a big commitment and none of us had previous experience, but it has been very rewarding to see what we have achieved.”
In 2007, the station was merely a collection of shipping containers, but then in 2017, a new purpose-built station was opened.
Russell says there are different roles that need filling around the station, from firefighters to operation support volunteers, who assist firefighters at incidents, and administrative support.
“It’s a serious commitment but it’s also a lot of fun. You definitely get more than you put into it.”
