Ranfurly Volunteer Fire Brigade

22/07/2026

Today we remember Senior Constable Jess Owens.

Jess was one of the very best. He was a familiar face around the Ranfurly & Naseby Brigade’s, whether he was dropping into the station, working alongside us at incidents, or simply stopping by for a chat. He was always approachable, supportive, and someone we were genuinely pleased to see.

No matter the situation, Jess was always willing to lend a hand. He carried himself with professionalism, humility, and kindness, earning the respect of everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him. He wasn’t just a police officer to us, he was a valued part of our emergency services family and a true friend to many.

His sudden passing has come as a tremendous shock. Our community has lost not only an outstanding police officer, but also a genuinely good man whose dedication to serving others and caring for those around him made a lasting difference.

On behalf of everyone at the Ranfurly & Naseby Volunteer Fire Brigade’s, we extend our deepest condolences to Jess’s family, friends, colleagues at New Zealand Police, and all those whose lives he touched. We hope you find strength in the memories you shared and comfort in knowing the impact Jess had on so many people.

Thank you, Jess, for your service, your friendship, and everything you did for our community. It was a privilege to stand alongside you.

Rest easy, Jess. You will always be remembered, and you will be deeply missed.

With love and respect from everyone at the Ranfurly & Naseby Volunteer Fire Brigades ❤️

07/07/2026

📞🔥 A SHOUTOUT TO THE TEAM BEHIND THE RADIO — FIRECOM

Following the recent weather events across Otago and the wider South Island, our frontline crews have been kept incredibly busy responding to incidents and supporting our communities.

But behind every appliance being turned out, every crew being dispatched, and every update coming across the radio is a team working tirelessly behind the scenes — FIRECOM, our 111 Fire Communications Centre team. Communication Centres - Fire and Emergency NZ

While our crews are out on the road, FIRECOM are managing calls, coordinating resources, keeping track of appliances and crews, passing on critical information, and helping ensure the right resources get where they’re needed.

During large-scale weather events, their workload increases significantly. They can be managing multiple incidents, constant radio traffic, resource movements and incoming emergency calls — all while remaining calm, professional and focused.

Those of us on the frontline hear their voices over the radio, but the public rarely gets to see the people behind those voices or the huge amount of work happening inside the Communications Centre.

So, from us here in the Maniototo — thank you to everyone at FIRECOM. Your work doesn’t go unnoticed, and we couldn’t do what we do without the team behind the radio. 🚒📻

From the frontline to the communications centre, we’re all part of the same response. 🔥

06/07/2026

❄️ Winter Prep: Adopt a Hydrant! 🚒

Hello, residents and holiday home owners of Ranfurly, Naseby, and Patearoa.

With winter well and truly here and snow settling across the Maniototo, we’re asking everyone to keep an eye on the fire hydrants near their homes and properties.

Just like long grass and overgrowth can hide hydrants, heavy snow can completely cover them in winter. In an emergency, firefighters may have to spend valuable time locating and digging out a hydrant before we can establish a water supply.

If there’s a hydrant near your property, you can help by clearing snow from around it and keeping a pathway open from the road. Please also make sure the yellow hydrant marker posts and road markings remain visible where possible.

The attached photo is a great example of why this matters. A hydrant can quickly disappear under snow, and when crews arrive at a fire, every minute counts.

A few minutes with a shovel today could save valuable time during an emergency tomorrow.

Thank you for helping keep Ranfurly, Naseby, and Patearoa safe this winter. ❄️🚒❤️

05/07/2026

Snow - whether you love it or hate it, here are some tips to stay safe if the power goes out at your place.

Torches are safer than candles. If you don’t have access to torches, or they run out of battery, take care to use candles safely:
• Always place them on a heat-resistant surface and firmly in a holder.
• Keep them away from anything that could catch fire like curtains, furniture or clothing.
• Keep them out of the reach of children and pets.
• Put them out before you leave a room and before you go to bed.

Prepare for your power coming back on by making sure all light switches, power outlets and cooking appliances are switched off.

Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade Arrowtown Volunteer Fire Station Wanaka Volunteer Fire Brigade Lake Hawea Volunteer Fire Brigade Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade Alexandra Volunteer Fire Brigade Middlemarch Volunteer Fire Brigade Ranfurly Volunteer Fire Brigade

16/06/2026

14/06/2026

🚒 UFBA National Road Crash Rescue Challenge – Competition Wrap-Up 🚒

The 2026 UFBA National Road Crash Rescue Challenge has come to an end, and what an experience it has been for our team.

On the final day of competition, the team took part in the Entrapped Rescue Challenge. While we unfortunately didn't manage to remove the patient within the 30-minute time limit, the crew performed well throughout the scenario and were very close to having the patient ready for removal when time was called.

The final results are now in, and the Ranfurly Road Crash Rescue Team finished 12th out of 17 teams from across New Zealand.

As a brand-new team competing at our first national competition, we're extremely happy with that result. We are also one of the youngest teams in the competition, with a relatively new group of firefighters coming together to build a Road Crash Rescue Team from the ground up. More importantly, we've come away with a huge amount of learning, experience, and motivation to continue improving. Every challenge highlighted areas we did well in and areas we can work on, helping us build our capability to better serve our community when responding to real-life incidents.

A special mention must go to our Team Leader, Isaac, who stepped in at the last minute to assist the East Otago Road Crash Rescue Team after they found themselves a little short on numbers. We're not saying they needed rescuing before the competition even started, but Isaac certainly kept busy running for two teams all week! 😆

Despite juggling commitments between both teams, Isaac played a key role in helping East Otago through the competition, with the team going on to finish an impressive 5th place overall, a position they have now comfortably held for two years running!

We would also like to acknowledge and thank the Wānaka Road Crash Rescue Team for the support they have provided over the past year. They played a significant role in helping get our team established and gave us the opportunity to compete alongside them at the South Island/North Island Challenge. The experience, guidance, and encouragement they provided helped lay the foundations for where our team is today, and we're grateful for their support.

A huge thank you to the UFBA, judges, actors, organisers, supporters, and all the competing teams for making the event such a valuable experience. Congratulations to all teams who took part.

Most importantly, thank you to our team members and supporters who dedicated countless hours of training and took time away from work, family, and personal commitments to represent Ranfurly on the national stage.

For a first-year team, and one of the youngest teams in the competition, we're proud of what we've achieved. The experience gained this week is invaluable, and we're already looking forward to taking what we've learned, refining our skills, and coming back even stronger next year. 💪🚒

📸 More photos from the week to come.

12/06/2026

🚒 UFBA National Road Crash Rescue Challenge – Day 2 Update 🚒

Another great day of learning and competition for the Ranfurly Road Crash Rescue Team at the 2026 UFBA National Road Crash Rescue Challenge in Feilding.

This morning, our medics Willie McBride and Emma McAtamney took part in another Trauma Challenge scenario, putting their patient assessment, treatment, and teamwork skills to the test under time pressure.

This afternoon, the full team competed in the Controlled Challenge, involving two patients trapped in a vehicle following a crash. One patient had an entrapped limb requiring extrication, while the second patient had serious injuries but was not trapped. The scenario required crews to balance patient care, rescue priorities, and scene management while working safely and effectively under pressure.

The team performed well throughout both challenges and received valuable feedback from the judges. Every scenario provides new learning opportunities that we can bring back to our brigade and community to help improve the service we provide when responding to real emergencies.

A huge thank you to the organisers, judges, actors, and support crews who make events like this possible.

We've attached a short two-minute video showing some highlights from today's challenges.

One more day of competition to go before results are announced tomorrow night. 💪🚒

11/06/2026

🚒 UFBA National Road Crash Rescue Challenge – Day 1 Update 🚒

Today our team competed in the first day of the 2026 UFBA National Road Crash Rescue Challenge in Feilding.

The day began with the Trauma Challenge, where Ranfurly medics Willie McBride and Emma McAtamney competed as a two-person team. The scenario involved a patient who had been cutting firewood and sustained a severe laceration to their left leg and left hand. Similar to an ambulance crew responding to a medical emergency, teams had 10 minutes to assess, treat, and manage the patient.

This afternoon, the full team took part in the Time Critical Challenge. The scenario involved a patient trapped in a vehicle with an entrapped limb. Crews were given 30 minutes to safely free the patient and complete the rescue, while managing a patient whose condition continued to deteriorate throughout the event.

The team received positive feedback from the judges and successfully extricated the patient with just one minute remaining on the clock. Results from today’s events will be announced on Saturday night.

We were also fortunate to have former Ranfurly firefighter Fletcher Dowling come along and support the team. Fletcher is currently based at Linton Military Camp and has recently completed his New Zealand Defence Force basic training. It was great to have him there supporting his hometown brigade.

A big thank you to everyone who has been following our journey and sending messages of support from home.

💪 Two more days of competition to go, with results being announced on Saturday night. Stay tuned for more updates!

📸 Team Ranfurly representing Central Otago on the national stage.

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