Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade

By Ian Blunt

Chief Fire Officer

The 2022 year ended with firefighters responding 84 times, 14 of those being motor vehicle crashes. Unfortunately, one fatality was recorded, and a couple were on the serious side The rest of the incidents were reasonably minor However, with the amount of traffic on the roads these days, you cannot be complacent Your full attention to driving is required

There were no major property fires within the Ōmokoroa fire district, a great sign that our community is aware of the dangers of fire We assisted Katikati on four occasions and attended a number of minor incidents.

Our first responders were once again very busy, responding 216 times in 2022

Thank you to both teams for your dedication to helping protect those in our community, both people and property

Thank you to those in the community who support our volunteers; we appreciate you caring about us

This year has begun with 17 callouts for our first responders, which is about the normal monthly turnouts at this stage of the month Firefighters have responded seven times, one motor vehicle crash and some minor flooding calls, and two alarm activations Thankfully, our anniversary weekend has not been busy as we have not been affected by the weather bombs like other parts of the country has Just one call to an alarm activation at 4 30 am - an early wakeup call for firefighters

We have vacancies for two firefighters and two first responders, so if you feel you are able to commit some time to help your community, learn new skills and join a team of professional volunteers, then please call for further information, CFO Ian Blunt 0274 599 478 or DCFO Fergus Keith 0274 922 887 magne Lodge hosting a concert as part of the Rimufest chamber music festival I attended this concert in January, and it was outstanding

A group of six professional musicians performed a variety of pieces by classical and modern composers on a variety of instruments, including violin, viola, cello and an extensive range of percussion instruments, including the marimba

The pieces played ranged from a violin/cello duet to a rousing finale involving all the instruments Charlemagne Lodge provided a beautiful venue, despite the rain meaning the concert was indoors rather than in the garden The ticket price included a complimentary drink and dessert, which was an extra surprise

What an absolute treat it was to be entertained by such a talented group of internationally acclaimed musicians and then to be able to chat with them after the concert, too, not something that is possible at bigger events

I would definitely recommend watching out for the next Rimufest concert if you enjoy live classical music, especially as it is held just down the road at Te Puna

Glenyce Gilmore