HVFP were asked to assist Silverstream VFB and the Upper Hutt Rural Fire Force at an exercise scrub fire on Thursday 29 October. HVFP duties were mainly to provide traffic control assistance and scene safety for the crews who were exercising their response to a vegetation fire within the Silverstream patch.

As a result of torrential rain in the hills around Blue Mountains and Pinehaven the HVFP unit was responded to the Pinehaven area on the evening of Thursday 23 July, to assist with road closures due to slips and flood waters.

The Unit ended up with two scenes to protect. One, a slip, on Blue Mountains Road and the second, a road closure on Sunbrae Drive due to flooding.

The first scene on Blue Mountains Road required a shunt to be put in place due to the slip closing one lane.

The second in Sunbrae Drive, due to flooding, required a complete road closure at both ends. This was initially necessary due to the depth of water in to separate locations being at vehicle bonnet level and then as the water receded to prevent damage to property on either side of the road from bow waves caused by vehicles as they moved move through the flood waters.

The unit was stretched for manpower at this call due to a number of the Unit's members, who were responding from south of Stokes Valley, not being able to access the scene due to road closures. SH2 (River Rd) and SH 58 (Haywards) were closed due to slips and Eastern Hutt Rd was closed due to Flooding.

One of our members who was caught in the traffic hold up on Eastern Hutt road ended up assisting the NZ Police with traffic control at the Stokes Valley roundabout for an hour or so.

As a result of the weather a joint exercise with Stokes Valley and Silvertream Fire Brigades plus the HVFP Unit was cancelled.

-- SSO David Ackroyd

The Hutt Valley Fire Police (HVFP) unit was invited to partake in and assist with a rural fire exercise in the Trentham area. The exercise was planned and controlled by Silverstream Fire Brigade and supported by Upper Hutt Rural Fire Force and the HVFP unit.

The purpose of the exercise was to put into practise the following skills:

• Forestry hose handling and running
  
• Securing water supplies
  
• Securing scene(s) safety

New Zealand Fire Service, along with NZ Police, Wellington Free Ambulance, Hutt Valley Rescue, Lower Hutt City Council Civil Defence, Toll Rail, and Upper Hutt Community Rescue were involved with 'Exercise Tunnel' conducted at the Rimutaka Rail Tunnel, Maymourn Upper Hutt on Sun 25 May 08.