McClay plays crash victim at open day

Cutting a politician from a car wreck and putting out a kitchen fire was all in a day's work for the Ngongotaha Fire Brigade.

Volunteer firefighters from the brigade took the time on Saturday to practise skills they use in emergency situations at an open day at Ngongotaha.

People from throughout the community made their way to the Ngongotaha Volunteer Fire Station and watched as mock rescue operations were carried out, including one where Rotorua MP Todd McClay and a local boy were extracted from a crashed car.

Mr McClay said he was dressed up as somebody who had been in a crash, with lots of make-up and fake blood. He said the make-up was so realistic he received a message on Facebook from a concerned friend asking if he was okay.

"All the emergency services came, the fire brigade took all the doors off the car and cut the roof off with the jaws of life. St John put neck braces on us and lifted us on to boards for assessment. There are pictures of me on Facebook looking cut up and beat up. Some people thought it might have been real."

As well as the car crash simulation, Mr McClay said a person was rescued from a tower and there were also displays in the fire station to show the community the skills and expertise of the Ngongotaha Fire Brigade. They were also teaching families and children how to be fire-safe at home.

Mr McClay said having a community open day was a "fantastic idea" and they did very well at a tough job.

"They deal with a lot of car accidents and life-and-death situations. Our community is all the richer for having these people who work during the day and use the rest of their time to train and attend these emergency situations. This is a great way for the public to learn about the fire brigade and how valuable they are to the community."

Central Lakes volunteer support officer Francis Boag said it had been a good day, although they were governed by the weather. He said about 60 people braved the weather.

Mr Boag said they also had a kitchen fire demonstration, as well as a lot of fire safety promotion.

The open day wasn't just about showing the public what firefighters do.

Mr Boag said they also displayed a tanker which had been bought with the help of fundraising money from last year's open day and would be used to help put out fires in rural areas.