The generosity of Arrowtowners has been paid back in dividends of safety and wellbeing with a new fire brigade emergency response vehicle hitting the streets this week.
The deployment of the go-anywhere truck, fitted out with the latest medical equipment, is the result of a mammoth community fundraising effort over the past 18 months.
Arrowtown Volunteer Fire Brigade Trust senior firefighter Kelvin Perriman says since the brigade’s 17-year-old response vehicle was identified as being in dire need of replacement, Arrowtown businesses and locals have swung in big behind the project.
As too have the Central Lakes Trust and Community Trust Southland, Perriman says.
The combined efforts raised the $150,000 needed for the vehicle and medical first response gear.
The 25-member voluntary brigade has already attended 170 calls so far this year, towards a likely total of 210-plus for the year.
That compares to 140 in total last year.
‘‘The need for this new technology and vehicle is quite crucial for a brigade like us,’’ he says.
‘‘It’s certainly not going to be sitting gathering dust.’’
Fellow senior firefighter Todd Weeks says with Arrowtown 15 minutes from the nearest ambulance station, the brigade’s often the ‘‘first responders on medical callouts to people in dire need’’.
‘‘We are it until the ambulance officers turn up.
‘‘The good thing is we’ve got several ambulance officers in our brigade, most of the time we have an ambo on board with us, anyway.
‘‘So it’s great to have a state-of-the-art medical first response and rescue vehicle, fully kitted out with all our gear.’’
Perriman confirms that 40% of the brigade’s call-outs are for medical emergencies.
Because it’s got all the latest four-wheel drive grunt, it can get to places like Macetown up the Arrow River and other isolated accident hotspots ‘‘a bit more efficiently’’.
Arrowtown’s Fork and Tap pub was a huge supporter of the project and the venue for a Super Jam band night and auction last November that raised $11,000 for the cause.
‘‘We’re absolutely appreciative of all the support we’ve had in the past 18 months to get this project completed,’’ Weeks says.
‘‘We’re excited to be able to provide this service to the Arrowtown community.’’
The fireys are hosting an open day to welcome the new vehicle at the Arrowtown station on October 29.
