Rangiora Fire Station chief fire officer Brook Retallick says it’s a great opportunity to showcase how the station and appliances work, talk about the station's long and illustrious history, and celebrate the strong community involvement and family commitment of its members.
"The brigade is everyone’s second family.
"We come together for a common purpose — to help our community when they need it the most — and to be there for each other when we need a moment to reflect on what we have just seen and been a part of.’’
Retallick said he was born into a firefighting family.
"When I joined, I was joining my father and grandfather in the brigade in Amberley.
"The brigade was part of our family and you lived with it every day."
He said the family vibe has kept him there for over 20 years.
"We all join to help our communities and I get a sense of gratitude when I help someone out on what is often the darkest day of their lives."
The strong family and community vibe comes from everyone looking out for each other, families being part of the brigade's social life and the strong feelings of camaraderie members feel while serving their communities.
"We couldn't do the job without the support of our families."
Back then the eight volunteers dealt only with structure and property fires.
"Today the 38 at Rangiora are usually the first co-responders, attending more than 400 call-outs a year covering natural disasters, medical emergencies, structure and property fires, and motor vehicle accidents.
"We are averaging one medical call-out a week at the moment, something we never did when I first joined.
"It makes our job very interesting at times as you never know what you might experience."
He said one of the most memorable call-outs was to a house fire in Loburn where one of the team tried to rescue the family cat.
"He couldn’t grab it with his gloves on so he took them off and the cat bit — hard — causing the firefighter to spend the next three days in hospital on an (intravenous) drip."
Often though, call-outs can be to help people they know personally, and that can be tough at times.
"But it is gratifying to see them up and mobile six months later, knowing I had a part in saving their lives."
Retallick said that is when he takes pride in being there for his family and the community.
The open day is on Sunday, June 2, from 11am to 3pm, at the Rangiora Fire Station, 134 Percival St, Rangiora.
On show will be a wide range of fire appliances, dating from 1874 to today, to look over and climb into.
Firefighting techniques and vehicle crash recovery displays will be on show, and there will be food and plenty od fire safety advice.
"It will be a great family fun day out," Retallick said.
