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Spectre of Measles Stalks Tower-Event Firefighters

30/5/2015

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Rotorua's firefighters are on alert after a a participant in last weekend's charity Sky Tower climb was confirmed as having measles. Public health officers have been racing to trace the hundreds of people who may have been exposed. A person who stayed at SkyCity hotel at the weekend and took part in the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge developed measles symptoms after returning home to Palmerston North.

Volunteer firefighters from Lake Okareka, Ngongotaha and Mamaku also took part in the challenge. Chief Medical Officer Don Mackie said a large number of people from many parts of the country were potentially exposed, and public health units nationwide had been notified. "If you are someone who thinks you might have been at risk of exposure, it's important you contact your local public health unit," Dr Mackie said.

"Public health officials are well versed in carrying out what is known as contact tracing, which involves reaching as many people as possible who could have been potentially exposed to measles. They can then be advised about what measures they need to take if they have, or develop measles-like symptoms." It usually takes 10 to 14 days for someone who has caught measles to show symptoms. Those who are not immunised and may have been infected will be advised to stay at home for 14 days.

Measles is highly contagious, and can be caught without direct contact as the virus can stay in the air for up to an hour. Dr Mackie said the case showed how important it was to be immunised, and people who were unsure should check their immunisation status.

Lake Okareka Chief Fire Officer Phil Muldoon said he had notified all members of the team. "We'll be keeping an eye out for any symptoms," he said.

- People who think they might have been exposed should phone their GP or Healthline on 0800 611 116 or advice. It's important not to visit a doctor without calling first so measures can be taken to avoid infecting others.

- Rotorua Daily Post
By alison.king@dailypost.co.nz

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Services Turn Out For YES Graduates

29/5/2015

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The first group of young job seekers to take part in the Youth in Emergency Services (YES) programme graduated last week, gaining a certificate, valuable life skills, and more motivation than ever. The Rotorua Weekender covered the progress of the 15 participants, aged 18 to 24, over the intensive four-week course where they took part in training scenarios with Rotorua emergency services. 

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick was at the YES graduation and says she is very proud of what the participants have achieved. "It makes me quite emotional when I hear the graduates talk, and see their families come and support them. It's a super programme, and the fact it's homegrown is wonderful. It's more of that innovative thinking we need so that we can fill the gaps in our community, and really get the wheels turning," she says. "I love the YES programme. It's very people-intensive and it's a huge commitment from the emergency services. "This is one of the most practical programmes that I've seen in our entire district, not only to fill in the gaps as people leave emergency services, but also for the participants' exposure to the various different emergency services."

YES programme volunteer Annastasia Wieblitz, 20, says doing the YES programme has been a life changing experience. "Before I did this programme I knew I wanted to help people but I didn't know much about the emergency services, I just knew a little bit about St John, and I thought maybe that would be the best fit for me because I like helping sick people, but now I'm volunteering at civil defence. It's my fifth week this week and it's great fun," she says. "What we have done so far has been really exciting. We have been out and checked places for flooding, stuff like that. It's been amazing. I'm definitely going to stick with civil defence."

Roger Bawden and Sarah Orton from Land Search and Rescue say the participants were taught basic skills which included navigation, observation skills, and pendant tracking during their LandSAR module. Sarah says she has seen huge growth in the participants. "I'm absolutely stunned, just having seen them at our training day, then again at our scenario day, and then again at their graduation, they have come on in huge leaps and bounds. We we first met them, they looked at a map and kind of said, we think this way is up, and now they are getting up and speaking in public, carrying stretchers, putting out fires — it's just amazing."

Ministry of Youth Development regional team manager Blair Gilbert says the YES programme is unique. "It started in Rotorua three years ago for students in their last year at high school, and now it's rolling out across the country," he says. "This is the first time we piloted it with young job seekers, and we are really pleased with the success. It relies on and is run by good volunteers, who are there to help out and make a difference to the young people in the community. Without the volunteers we wouldn't exist. They do it all in their volunteer time. "I'm proud to be here at the graduation with the participants and all the emergency services. We believe it is really important that the community know that these young people are now trained and motivated to help others."

Rotorua Weekender - 29th May 2015
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Hotshots Show Tower Power

27/5/2015

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The Lake Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade - Phil Rennie (left), Blair Gilbert, Phil Muldoon, Adam McHugh and Stu Lyall - won the "donned" section of the Sky Tower Stair Challenge. Absent: Kierin Oppatt. Photo / Stephen Parker
Six weeks of training using the Novotel stairs as a gym paid off for the Lake Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade. The team of six firefighters won the "donned" category of the Sky Tower Stair Challenge for the second year in a row, with two of their team taking the top two places.

Adam McHugh was first to the top in the donned category - where they wear full gear but do not carry breathing apparatus. He finished in 11 minutes 35 seconds. Kierin Oppatt came second in 11m 52s.

The team competition counts the top three members of a team and the quickest accumulated time wins. For Lake Okareka, it was chief fire officer Phil Muldoon who rounded out the trio - he reached the top in 14m 9s, one second ahead of Blair Gilbert. "We were blown away to win it a second year in a row," Mr Muldoon said. "We'll definitely be back next year. "We'll defend until we get too old."

The team trained three or four times a week for six weeks, using the Novotel stairwell and climbing it between 10 and 12 times. "It's all thanks to Ed Judd (from Novotel). We knew what we were in for. It was good to get used to the heat."


A total of 750 firefighters, mostly from New Zealand, took part. The challenge raised more than $1 million for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand. 

It was a double celebration for the team. Mr Muldoon turned 49 on Saturday and Mr Gilbert had his birthday earlier in the week. They finished seventh and eighth in the masters category. Next year, they advance to the grand masters.

The Ngongotaha Volunteer Fire Brigade and Mamaku Fire Brigade also took part.

- Rotorua Daily Post

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