Deputy fire chief's training exercise sparks fire call-out

Westport's deputy fire chief was embarrassed to have the fire chief and two fire engines called out to his training exercise on Friday evening.

Alan Kennedy said he was doing training with two recruits at the Fulton Hogan yard at about 5.30pm.

They were practicing using the extinguishers on barrels of fuel, as they would at their upcoming recruit course in Christchurch.

He hadn't expected the exercise to cause so much smoke and a member of the public had done the right thing by reporting it.

"The chief arrived in his vehicle and two fire engines arrived...Very embarrassing."

Mr Kennedy said the brigade had known he had the training planned and he tried to phone and cancel the call out.

He said fire chief Pat O'Dea just laughed at him when he arrived.

Meanwhile, emergency services took part in an exercise at Westport Airport on Sunday morning.

It was a simulated crash where a seven-seater plane had supposedly crashed on takeoff.

Fire fighters extinguished the fire then cut people out under St John instruction.

A car was used as the plane and seven people acted as patients with various injuries.

By Kim Fulton

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