Carole Moselen, an 80-year-old woman from Katikati, was surprised when five firefighters from the local volunteer fire brigade showed up at her home to change a smoke alarm battery. Moselen, who is partially disabled, woke up at 4am to the sound of her smoke alarm’s dying battery. Unable to reach the alarm herself, she tried to find help online from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) or the local fire station.
Unable to find a non-emergency number for FENZ, she was advised by a council call center worker to call 111. Moselen was only expecting advice on whether the fire station still provided free smoke alarms. Instead, the operator told her a fire truck would be arriving soon. To her surprise, the town’s fire siren went off and a fire truck arrived with five firefighters.
Although they knew it wasn’t an emergency, the firefighters removed the faulty smoke alarm and later returned with new batteries. Moselen was grateful for their help, praising their caring nature. A FENZ spokesperson stated that the town sirens automatically go off when a 111 call is made and the brigade will always respond. They also noted that FENZ offers free home fire safety visits and advice, which can be arranged by calling 0800 693 473. The number for non-emergency police calls is 105, while 111 is the emergency number for police, fire, and ambulance services.
