Otorohanga Fire Station
Ōtorohanga’s Volunteer Fire Brigade responded to a record 232 call-outs in 2025.
Ōtorohanga fire chief Neville King and, right, Te Kūiti deputy chief Guy Whitaker
“We probably had about 50 more last year compared to 2024 and it is the highest number we’ve ever had. Our last highest total was in 2023 when we had 208,” brigade chief Neville King told The News.
Although the highest proportion (47) of call-outs were initiated by road crashes, responding to fire alarms (43) and vegetation fires (41) formed the lion’s share.
“A lot of them were weather-related. We had quite a few fires back in March and we had a lot of calls out to Waikeria Prison – most were false alarms, but we still had to attend.”
An overhaul of the prison’s alarm system as part of major redevelopment work was behind many of the false alarms, but the issue now seems to be under control, King said.
While the new record doesn’t necessarily mean the brigade will be under additional pressure this year, extra hands are always welcome at the pump.
“Every year is different, so we can’t predict what’s going to happen and how many call-outs we’ll get, but we probably will be doing another recruitment drive this year,” said King.
Efforts to stock up on staff will likely begin in earnest after upgrades at Ōtorohanga’s fire station have been completed and a belated centennial celebration takes place in March.
The brigade also extended its appreciation on social media, stating that every call-out: “represents a moment where our volunteers dropped what they were doing to respond, day or night, work or family time, to help keep our community safe.
A little further down the line, the Te Kūiti brigade also noted an increase in responses during 2025, deputy chief Guy Whitaker said.
“We experienced probably about 25 per cent more call-outs compared to 2024. As we had a very dry start to the year, we had virtually a call a day most of January mostly due to vegetation fires, and then due to severe weather events later on in the year.”
Similarly, Whitaker said it is tough to predict how busy his brigade will be in 2026.
“Even though it’s totally random, we seem to have a big increase one year, then it hovers around about the same number for a few years and then, all of a sudden, you get another big year,” he said.
Although the need is not necessarily sparked by their workload from 2025, the Te Kūiti team is also looking for new recruits
“It’s getting a little bit hard to get good people, especially for day calls, so we’re always on the lookout for volunteers, absolutely.”
Meanwhile, further north, Cambridge’s Volunteer Fire Brigade members attended a record 508 calls over the past year – a significant jump from the 420 calls logged in the previous year.
Fire Chief Dennis Hunt told The News this week the rise was seen across the board, but there had been a notable increase in the number of structural fires association with buildings, houses, sheds and the like, and in vegetation fires.
“As towns grow in the region, so most of the fire stations are recording more callouts, and with the number of retirement villages growing, we are seeing an increased number of false alarms.”
On call: Ōtorohanga fire brigade units have temporary accommodation while refurbishment work continues at the Ballance St station.
