Matata Fire Brigade news
July, 2013
49 CALLOUTS THIS YEAR - 21 Fire & 28 Medical
We have had nine callouts in the month of July (all medical).
30th June at 6:11pm, just before the Brigade AGM a 111 call was received for a "patient short of breath" in Matata.
Our team quickly dispatched to the house to find a woman in a serious condition. We provided her with support, gathered her
vital signs and managed to get her stabalised for the ambulance crew. We then helped move the patient out in the wind and
rain to the ambulance for transport to Whakatane Hospital. Soon after we also extracted our van from the adjacent muddy
verge and were back on station soon after.
3rd July at 10:48am a 111 call was received for a "patient with back pain" well out of Matata towards Edgecumbe. A small
but capable team quickly dispatched to the house to find a patient who had been doing some lifting and felt a debilitating back
pain. We provided support and gathered vital signs but it was the back pain that was the issue as they had previously had a
back operation. Unfortunately the ambulance was diverted to another, more critical incident and without any pain relief we
simply stayed and provided support until the ambulance arrived about an hour later. Once they arrived they helped with the
pain then transported to Whakatane Hospital.
7th July at 12:22pm the town siren sounded in response to a 111 call for a "serious haemorrhage". We quickly assembled a
small crew and dispatched to the nearby Matata property. There we found a man who had been digging in the garden and cut
the tip of his finger, quite badly on some broken glass. We quickly turned the ambulance around and provided some first aid
at the scene. At 8:03pm that night, just as we were in the depths of training our newer volunteers in medical training and in
how to extricate a patient from a munted car, the siren on our roof sounded in response to a 111 call for a person with
"abnormal breathing". VERY quickly a crew, along with the Territory Manager for St. John Ambulance dispatched to the
nearby Matata home. There we found an older lady who had had severe back pain. This was the result of a fall earlier in the
day which was the result of dizziness. We provided her support and took down her vital signs then about 20 minutes later
helped to load her on the ambulance for transporting to Whakatane Hospital. We quickly returned to the station to finish up
the nights training and debrief on this incident too.
13th July at 4:44 this morning the town was awoken by our siren after a 111 call for a " Fall victim". We quickly mustered a
full crew for the MERCI Van and headed of to a Matata address. There we found a woman who had a nasty crack to the
nose, probably broken and a dislocated finger. We made sure she was safe then provided first aid treatment and checked her
vital signs while we awaited the ambulance. The ambulance arrived about a half hour later and with skill and Entonox
managed to straighten out the finger. In the end she stayed home and we were all back off home shortly after.
Then at 8:31am on the same morning the town siren went up again, this time in response to a call for a " Cardiac Arrest".
Wasting no time at all, crews descended on the station and we headed out for a home on the edge of Matata.
There we found a man clutching his chest on the deck of the house, in considerable pain. We quickly got him as comfortable
as we could, checked his vital signs, got him on to oxygen and got the AED on to monitor is heart.
The ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later and we helped to quickly load him on board and off to hospital.
20th July at 1:50pm the town siren alerted us to a 111 call once again for a "Cardiac Arrest". A crew descended on the
station quickly and we dashed the two blocks to our patients home. There we found a man struggling for breath, in
considerable pain. We quickly got him as comfortable as we could, checked his vital signs and got the AED on to monitor is
heart. He was stable for the meantime. The ambulance arrived about 20 minutes later and we helped to quickly load him on
board and off to hospital.
25th July at 5:47pm, the town siren sounded in response to a 111 call for a patient suffering " abdominal pain" out at
Murphy's Motor Camp. A crew assembled at the station and we headed out shortly after in the Emergency Response Van.
There we found a woman suffering a relapse of a known medical condition. We got her comfortable and gathered up her
history and vital signs. The ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later and we helped her walk to the ambulance then load her
on board and off to hospital.
If you are interested in joining us, then contact one of the officers below, or turn up at the Fire Station at 7pm on a Monday night. For photo’s,
news, and our Facebook link go to Matatafire.com
Chief Fire Officer Brian Dobson
322 2118
Deputy Chief Gavin Dennis
322 2253