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Waimakariri Heritage

Kaiapoi Volunteer Fire Brigade

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Date2025DescriptionThe Kaiapoi Volunteer Fire Brigade dates back to 1870, when a group of locals made the decision to organise themselves to protect the community from fires. The twenty one men who initially signed up were each issued with a leather fire bucket and were instructed to carry water from the Kaiapoi River, to a fire. In the early years, fire personnel were summoned by the ringing of a bell, which was later installed in a bell tower next to the fire station on the corner of Cookson Street (what is now Williams Street) and Charles Street. This station remained in use until September 1912 when the King George V Coronation Library, Reading Room and Fire Station on the corner of High Street and Raven Quay was opened. The current site in Hilton Street has had a fire station on it since 1961 and the most recent version was opened in November 2023.
Over the years a variety of fire vehicles have been used by the Brigade, from a hose reel towed by horses in 1968, to a Shand Mason steam driven fire pump in 1872 and today’s modern and highly equipped vehicles. It has been the group of people who have volunteered their time and commitment to the Brigade that have been the biggest assets, as they dealt with fires, injury and natural disasters across Kaiapoi.
KeywordsKaiapoi Volunteer Fire BrigadeKaiapoiMenuPlaces | Towns | Kaiapoi

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CollectionCommunity lifeKaiapoi Volunteer Fire Brigade

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Kaiapoi Volunteer Fire Brigade

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