Mataura Operational Support

The Mataura Volunteer Fire Brigade typically has around 6 Operational Support members in their team. There are plans to boost this to around 10 in the future as the Unit is becoming a bit more of an area resourse than just a brigade one. The Operational Support unit has been utilised many times by neighbouring brigades, including Gore, Edendale, and Wyndham over the years.
The OSU are regularly called out to MVA’s - of which Mataura attend quite a few, being situated on SH1, 92 and 96. This is not only for traffic control, but they take an active part in first aid, and rescue helicopter landing. Other duties include ECO, setting up and running portable pumps, scene security, refreshments at larger incidents, and will attend medical co response calls as part of the crew on the fire appliance. Basically the Op Support are trained in most things other than BA, squirting water and climbing ladders.
The Mataura Fire Police unit started in 1970, and been continuous ever since. The Mataura Brigade celebrated 50 years of the Fire Police/Op Support in November 2020, with a Jubilee weekend.