WHAT TO DO WITHOUT A LOO?
28 January 2009
You’re searching for a tourist lost in the bush, you’ve volunteered your time and you’ve been on the job for seven hours already…the terrain is rough, the weather is cold…now if you could just stop for a quick toilet break…
There are many practical aspects to consider when running a search and rescue mission, putting out a fire or attending a road accident, and one of them is the need for clean, private ablutions.
Today, the Omarama Rural Fire Services have finally solved this long overdue problem, by becoming the proud owners of a brand new, purpose built port-a-loo.
The $5,000 mobile toilet, largely funded by NZCT will be a great relief, literally, to the local emergency teams.
The New Zealand Fire Service is the primary response team for all local emergencies. It’s supported by Search and Rescue and the Rural Fire Service – whose members are dedicated volunteers. Rural fire officer, Lex Perriam, says the loo will be a great asset, providing a bit of civilisation and comfort, for teams who are often working in harsh conditions.
“We work hard, and we don’t complain about much, because our role is to help those in trouble. Still, it pays to consider that, during an emergency, we can be working eight to 12 hour shifts – and in the case of a rural fire, we can be on a job for days - and usually we can’t leave the site,” says Lex.
“We often work in remote areas, so we need to bring in our own resources and be self-sufficient for as long as it takes to get the job done. The new loo is built onto a trailer, so it’s completely mobile and we’ll be able to tow it to our forward operations base, and be ready for action – so to speak,” he says.
“It’s easy to laugh about loos – until you actually need one! This is something we’ve been wanting for a long time and we are rapt that it’s finally here. We’re really grateful to NZCT for helping us.”
NZCT regional advisory committee chairperson, Stephen Boock, says the trust was pleased to be able to help.
“We appreciate the Omarama emergency teams’ commitment and contribution,” says Stephen.
“We always try to return money to the community where it was raised, and we hope this basic, but essential, resource will make their jobs a bit easier.”
The fiberglass port-a-loo was built in Blenheim by Norski Fibreglass Products Ltd and was delivered to the rural fire service today. It will be housed in Omarama and will be available for use by all the local emergency services.The Omarama Rural Fire Services respond to incidents in the Mt Cook area, throughout the McKenzie Basin, and south to Tekapo and Alexandra. The services have 41 volunteers, who attend around 140 training sessions and 70 call-outs each year.
In 2009 the Rural Fire Service celebrates its 21st birthday.
