Fires saftey message must get through

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia is supporting calls from the National Fire Service Maori Advisor Piki Thomas urging whanau hapu and Iwi to maintain our Marae to satisfactory fire safety standards.

Over the past three days, fire has devastated two marae, one in Rotorua and the other in Kaikohe.

"I know a lot of hard work goes into maintaining our Meeting houses and I can only imagine the outcry had both of these ancestral buildings had been occupied at the time," said Parekura Horomia.

"The Fire Service is recommending all Meeting Houses be installed with smoke alarms, install sprinkler systems and develop an evacuation plan and it is a strategy I endorse.

"Earlier this week I launched the Maori water safety campaign where our people are featuring highly in the statistics. We must be proactive in eliminating fire risks that can also have potentially fatal results," said Parekura Horomia.

Fire Service Staff are available to discuss fire safety options for Marae. This is a free service that is available to all Marae committees and trusts.

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