Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s commitment to rebuilding and enhancing its facilities in Christchurch in partnership with the community is being reinforced with the opening of three new buildings in two days.

Ilam Fire Station and the Ilam Fire Engineering Facility

The new Ilam Fire Station and the Ilam Fire Engineering Facility were opened today in a unique partnership which Fire and Emergency Board Chair Paul Swain says reflects the 27-year relationship between Fire and Emergency and the University of Canterbury.

"Having both facilities together on a university campus is a first for Australasia," Paul Swain says.

"The new fire engineering facility will be a centre of excellence, where Fire and Emergency’s own fire engineers and the university’s fire engineering programme will share resources and collaborate on research and development."

Paul Swain says the new Ilam Fire Station’s more central location on the corner of Creyke Road and Engineering Road, allows the station to serve Christchurch’s western suburbs as well as the University and community. The 16 career firefighters now based at Ilam were previously at the Harewood Fire Station.

Paul Swain opened the fire engineering facility while the new Ilam Fire Station was officially opened by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Jan Tinetti.

Spencerville Fire Station

On Saturday 1 April, Minister Tinetti will also open the new Spencerville Fire Station, home to the recently created Spencerville Volunteer Brigade, which has brought together the former Bottle Lake Rural Fire Force and the former Brooklands Brigade.

Paul Swain says the establishment of the new Spencerville Volunteer Brigade reflects the changing needs of the community, and also makes best use of the diverse expertise of both brigades. The brigade’s territory covers a blend of urban housing, semi-rural blocks, an 80ha campground, and forests, which are also popular recreation areas for locals.

The 31 members of the brigade have been training and responding together from their new station since March, leading the way as the first fully unified brigade in Canterbury.

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