Dozens of people turned up at Pirongia Volunteer Fire Brigade last Saturday to witness the blessing of not one, but three, brigade vehicles.
Admiring the new vehicle after Saturday’s blessing are, from left Tarana-ki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger, Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan, Pi-rongia Volunteer Fire Brigade’s deputy CFO Roger Grylls, CFO Roan Gouws, and FENZ group manager (Waikato) David Brown. Photo: Viv Posselt
The event was arranged to bless the latest addition to the fleet – a Mitsubishi Triton brought on board as a rapid response medical vehicle in late December.
But because the brigade’s tanker missed out on an official ceremony a year ago, both that and another non-emergency vehicle provided by Waipā Networks in mid-2024, were blessed at the same time by Tai Huata of Pūrekireki Marae.
Adding a touch of solemnity to proceedings was news that the funeral service for Huata’s uncle Dennis was to be held in Ōtorohanga just a few hours later.
Guests mingle outside the station after the blessing ceremony. Photo: Viv Posselt
He had enjoyed a long association with both the Ōtorohanga and Pirongia fire brigades, frequently coming in to bless new vehicles. He had been ill for some time and died last week.
Among guests at the Saturday’s blessing was Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger, Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan, and Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) group manager (Waikato) David Brown.
“Getting to this point has been quite a journey,” said the brigade’s assistant chief fire officer Roger Grylls, who led the fundraising initiative.
“It was in August 2023 that we thought it was time to start looking at another vehicle. The question was ‘how’, so the brigade picked up the project.”
Roger Grylls, left, and Roan Gouws, deputy CFO and CFO respectively of the Pirongia Volunteer Fire Brigade, speaking to guests at Saturday’s blessing. Photo: Viv Posselt
He acknowledged support from fellow firefighters, the village of Pirongia and the wider business community, and said the brigade had also done its own fundraising at various events. They raised $120,000 for the vehicle, which was purchased at a discounted rate from Mitsubishi Ingham Te Awamutu, and fitted out, also at a discounted rate, by Camco Industries in Cambridge.
Pirongia Fire Station chief fire officer Roan Gouws expressed gratitude to the numerous businesses, community organisations and individuals who got behind the project, describing their support as ‘awesome’.
Tai Huata of Purekireki Marae conducting the blessing of the new vehicle, followed by Pirongia Volunteer Fire Brigade CFO Road Gouws and guests. Photo: Viv Posselt
He also told guests that the brigade, which operates with 20 firefighters, is actively recruiting. They’re currently running to almost 100 calls a year and are seeing that number increase steadily.
“Like all brigades, there is a level of natural attrition that happens all the time. The difficulty is that if we don’t replace those leaving with new recruits, we will find ourselves short of the numbers of active firefighters we need to do our job efficiently.”
Pirongia brigade covers Kawhia, Raglan, Ngāhinapōuri and the south Waikato, with callouts to a range of incidences including motor vehicle accidents, scrub fires, structural or rubbish fires, animal emergencies, downed trees, and medical co-response incidences with St John.
Tai Huata of Purekireki Marae shares the multiple blessing with assem-bled firefighters and guests. Photo: Viv Posselt
