Cloud over brigade lifting slowly

 

Over a year ago, accusations, intimidation and conflict ignited among members of an essential community service.

However, Mangawhai’s Volunteer Fire Brigade is unified once more, rising like a phoenix from the ashes of 2015, to realign as a 20-strong, highly effective team in 2016.

NZ Fire Service Whangarei-Kaipara assistant area manager, Wipari Henwood, says the unit is once again ‘pointing in the right direction’.

“Mangawhai brigade is functioning fantastically now,” he says. “The response time to call-outs has improved greatly… the issues of last year and relationships that were hurt are on the mend.”

In September 2015, former officer-in-charge of Mangawhai Fire Station, Mike McEnaney, was demoted to station manager and consequentially suspended from all duties after allegations of bullying behaviour were made.

However, an official report stated that the intimidation could not be substantiated due to lack of evidence despite 15 volunteers leaving the unit, but did say the station was ‘severely dysfunctional’ which put the public at risk.

Due to the damaging publicity, the brigade had struggled to attract new voluntary recruits.

“Why would anyone want to join a group that wasn’t functioning well?” Henwood says. “But more people have now joined, and some previous volunteers have returned.”

Henwood puts full credit of the brigade’s revival, to former Auckland firefighter and ex-retired officer-in-charge, Maurie Doughty.

“It hasn’t been easy for him, but Maurie has worked really hard and done an excellent job,” he says. “He is a great leader.”

However despite the forecast looking bright for the Mangawhai crew, Henwood says there is still a ‘cloud hanging over us’.

“McEnaney is still suspended and the decision regarding his future is in the hands of the Regional Head Office,” he says. “There is a chance he could even be reinstated.”

Recent negative comments were also cast on the service in August this year, when a member of the public expressed discontent through a Letter to the Editor (Mangawhai

Focus, August 8) about how the brigade turned away two new potential recruits who had trained with the unit for nine months.

Henwood says there is a process regarding joining as a volunteer firefighter that goes beyond physical capabilities.

“Trust is most important when you are joining as a member of an emergency team,” he says. “Every brigade member is checked out and voted in, taking into consideration why a person wants to join and will they fit in with the dynamics of the established team.”

Henwood also says unsuccessful volunteers are given a second chance and Doughty is working with the two individuals who were turned down.

By Julia Wade