38 | Whangarei District Council - Hillcon: Rescue Fire Service Building T T Virginia Wright Boost for airport safety and efficiency Whangarei’s LandSAR (Search and Rescue) operation will occupy a portion of the building. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT When Air New Zealand increased the number of flights in and out of Whangarei in 2021, the airport was required to have a Rescue Fire Service presence, which meant it needed a place to house the requisite staff and equipment. Filling that need also created an opportunity for the airport to improve its infrastructure at the same time, with a building that’s expected to open before Christmas. The airport is jointly owned by the Ministry of Transport and the Whangarei District Council (WDC), and while the former provided the funding, the District Council took responsibility for the new building, providing a succession of project managers to work closely with the airport manager, Steve Jennings, all the way through the build. As he is also the chief of Onerahi’s volunteer Fire Brigade, Steve was the ideal person to be involved in working out what was needed to permanently house the new service currently making do in a set-up that is far from ideal. Gerard Sugrue is one of the WDC’s project managers, who worked with Steve and the Hillcon Group to get the building contracted and underway, before handing it on to Rob Shaw of Bluewater Project Management. Steve had taken over the business of running the airport from its previous owner Mike Chubb at the start of the year, and Gerard believes their input was invaluable. “Steve and Mike Chubb, (the former airport manager for 25 years), were the driving force behind it – they knew what it needed,” he says. Mike now works part-time for Steve ,which gives Steve the ongoing benefit of Mike’s 25- plus years of historical knowledge, and after years of operating out of a tired building tacked on to an old hangar, Mike will get to enjoy a new office when he’s at work. “Our offices are a small part of the new building, which is designed to meet national and international guidelines,” Steve explains. “Essentially, we’ve got to house our rescue appliances, which have to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and NZ Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) standards, with all the gear and equipment required to manage a rescue situation if something happens to an aircraft at the airport, and to be able to respond within three minutes to any incident anywhere in the airport.” Steve’s personal experience in the Fire Service means he understands the meaning of time when there’s an emergency, and he’s looking forward to his Rescue Fire Service team being able to work out of a much more efficient set-up. Soon, they and their gear will be in their own purpose-built storage space on the ground floor of the new building “Which means if something does happen the team can jump straight into their kit and truck and respond much more efficiently,” Steve explains. With the new building came a much-needed opportunity to re-house and upgrade airport operations, explains Gerard. “The airport operations team has been working out of an old, ad hoc set-up for at least 25 years. The new building is located to have a good view of the entire airport. Airport operations are on the first floor, so up high enough to see it all. “The airport rescue crew, who double as duty managers, are well placed to do what they need to do as they are able to watch planes land and take off from their corner office, which has wide sweeping views of the airport.” It was also an opportunity to improve the set-up for other parts of Whangarei’s infrastructure that deal with the health and safety of citizens and tourists alike. Thanks to additional funding they brought in through the crown’s “Better Off” fund, Whangarei’s LandSAR (Search and Rescue) operation will occupy a portion of the building, and for the first time be able to house their two caravans and ute, along with all their necessary equipment, safely under one roof. COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL Proudly Supporting Whangarei District Council E: hanei.kim@hotmail.com P: 021 262 1297 - Steel stud partitions - Aluminium free form partitioning systems - Suspended ceiling systems - Complete office fitouts - Supply, fixing and stopping of plasterboard - Raised computer flooring - Toilet and open plan wall partition systems - acoustic and thermal insulation Locally owned and operated installers of: 61 Rolling Valley Lane Okaihau Northland P: 0274909645 E: paulwci@xtra.co.nz Waikato Interior Construction Ltd Up to 50% faster to construct Straight and easier to erect Engineered specifically for NZ conditions and standards Cut to precise specifications, reducing material wastage Up to 70% lighter than timber Strong and durable Northland’s Premier Light Gauge Steel Framing Supplier Commercial www.modnframe.com info@modnframe.com Tel: 0800 663 636 Residential Industrial
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