A Second Alarm was transmitted for a house fire well involved in Naenae, Lower Hutt during the afternoon of September 13. HVFP responded and provided traffic and crowd control services, as well as some light refreshments.

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First Image: Despite the apparent lack of damage to exterior walls, it appears that the interior was entirely destroyed by fire. Second Image: RIMU4926 provided scene safety whilst the road was largely blocked by fire appliances.
Images by FP Mark Foster.

At around lunchtime on Friday 12 September Fire Police were requested to respond to an address on High Street, Lower Hutt, where a Gas Heater Fire had caused significant damage to a property. Members who responded provided security to the property until the owner could arrange for the building to be secured. The fire was attended by firefighters from Seaview and Thorndon stations.

HVFP received a call at 0100hrs 6 Sept to a Second Alarm well involved House Fire in Miro St, Trentham.

On arrival Rimutaka 4926 provided Main Lighting in support of the Fire-fighters attacking the blaze as well as lighting support to the Breathing Apparatus (BA) recommissioning area.

The Unit provided hot refreshments to the Fire Fighters and NZ police personnel who were involved at the scene.

The Unit also provided limited scene security and traffic control at the end of the incident while the road was cleared.

Attendees included career firefighters from Rimutaka, Trentham, Hutt City, Avalon and Wellington Central stations - and Volunteers from Upper Hutt, Stokes Valley and Silverstream Volunteer Fire Brigades.

Updated! Now with additional imagery after the jump. (click on 'Read More' to view the complete article.)

Monday 1 September saw Hutt Valley Fire Police and Rimutaka 4926 with lighting plant off to Paraparaumu to take part in a training exercise with members Paraparaumu and Waikanae Volunteer Fire Brigades.

The exercise turned out to be a chemical spill in an industrial area near the airport which consisted of two drums of an unknown type of chemical which had fallen over.

Our job as a Unit was to provide lighting to the affected area and to light up the decontamination line / staging point as well as providing traffic control, man power for the BA tender and drinking water for the crews as they came out of BA.

For the new members of the Unit this provided a chance to see how a decontamination line worked and what role we could play, as well as learning new skills For the rest of the Unit it was a chance to polish up on other skills. This training also gave us the opportunity to show the other crews what the Unit was able to do and what gear we could provide in support of an incident.

As the training was coming to a close the radios sprung into life with a call of "NO DUFF" (a genuine event) and then the message that there was an accident out on the main road adjacent to the exercise zone. A motorcycle and a car had collided. Firefighters and Fire Police quickly took control of the scene with HVFP performing traffic control while the fire crews looked after the patients.

Hutt Valley Fire Police would like to thank the CFO, Officers and crew of Paraparaumu Volunteer Fire Brigade for inviting us to take part in their training and look forward to working and training with them in the future.

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First Image: WAIK381 and AVAL4115 parked near the 'incident'. Second Image: Decontamination Stations set up and ready to go.

A Second Alarm transmitted for a fire at Randwick Park School, Moera, Lower Hutt had Fire Police responded shortly after 6am this morning. The first arriving appliances observed a fire well involved, but this was quickly contained and prevented from spreading further than a single classroom.

Hutt Valley Fire Police provided traffic control and refreshments for crews in attendance, which included both Career and Volunteers from Seaview to Trentham plus crews from Thorndon and Johnsonville.

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First Image: Appliances gathered adjacent to Randwick Park School. Second Image: 4926 served refreshments whilst Fire Police provided scene safety, traffic control and other general assistance. Images thanks to FP Bruce Key.

After a quiet month or so, the last 24 hours have seen a bit of action for the Unit, as below:

Tues 29 July 2008 - Flat Fire, Petone
Fire Police were requested to attend a Flat Fire in Petone on the afternoon of Tuesday 29th. A scene guard to the property was provided until Housing New Zealand could attend and secure the premesis.

Wed 30 July 2008 - Stormy Weather Calls
A series of calls on Wednesday 30 July kept members busy:

• Te Marua, Upper Hutt - Power Lines and Trees down required Fire Service assistance. Fire Police were requested to control traffic around the scene, which affected multiple properties damaged by falling trees.
  
• Wallaceville, Upper Hutt - A Tree again brings power lines down. Fire Police helped secure the scene until power could attend.
  
• Te Marua, Upper Hutt - a second incident in Te Marua (on the same road) with a Tree threatening a house.
  

Above: Members of Hutt Valley Fire Police assisting the Lines company deal with the aftermath of high winds.
Below: Some houses really did get hit hard.

Images thanks to FP Bruce Key

Hutt Valley Fire Police were called to assist this afternoon when construction materials and other items, propelled by a stiff southerly wind, started flying off a partially constructed multi-storey structure located behind the Petone Pak'n'Save. At least one vehicle was reportedly quite seriously damaged and there was a significant risk to life and property should anyone be struck by falling debris.

A second alarm saw Rimutaka 4926 and 4928 called out to a house fire on the Mangaroa Hill road on the evening of June 10th. The house was an old derelict which was the scene of a fire a few months ago. This call was attended by Trentham 487, 481, Rimutaka 491, Avalon 414 and the Wellington Command Unit (2114).

Fire Police provided lighting at the scene as well as closing the Hill Road. We also provided refreshments and also some manpower to assist with carrying equipment up and down the dirt track that lead to the house.

Members of Hutt Valley Fire Police were called to the scene of a property fire in Pharazyn St, Lower Hutt late in the evening of 1 June. RIMU4926 and 4928 responded with lighting equipment and lit up the scene of the fire - which involved two seperate sheds - as it was dampened down and mopped up. Fire Police remained at the scene to provide security overnight, to allow for the return of Fire Safety Officers first thing in the morning.

Late on the morning of Saturday 24 May, Hutt Valley Fire Police were requested to assist Police at the scene of a serious motor vehicle accident on Akatarawa Rd Upper Hutt, near the Cemetary. One person died in the accident. RIMU4926 and 4928 responded and assisted the Police Serious Crash Unit by maintaining road closures and diversions around the incident, as well as providing some light refreshments.