The Wānaka Volunteer Fire Brigade responded to 206 callouts in 2025, a slight drop on the previous year, but one that still reflects steady demand on the town’s volunteer emergency service.

The brigade attended around four incidents a week on average, with 48 percent fire-related and 22 percent linked to motor vehicle accidents.

Deputy chief fire officer Tom Syben, who was newly appointed on Monday (January 12) and has been with the brigade for 10 years, said the overall number was down from about 250 callouts in 2024.

“There were certainly a few less vegetation fires this year just given it hasn’t been as dry towards the end of summer as it normally is,” he said.

Wānaka Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Tom Syben. PHOTO: Supplied

Tom said motor vehicle incidents continued to be among the most challenging callouts.

“It can have a psychological impact, getting to see scenes that aren’t an everyday thing for most people,” he said. “We take that side of things seriously and we have wrap-around support from Fire and Emergency New Zealand like ongoing counselling.”

The brigade currently has 33 volunteers, with recruitment ongoing.

“Our volunteers go through about 12 months’ training from joining up to be able to go out on calls, so there is a fair bit of training involved,” Tom said.

That training does not stop once volunteers are operational, with weekly sessions held to maintain and build skills.

Volunteers take part in an on-call roster, making themselves available for a full week each month.

“During that week you make yourself available for all callouts,” Tom said.

“The biggest thing for us is availability… especially during work hours,” Tom said. “It takes the right sort of employer to let someone go at the drop of a hat.”

The brigade’s target response time is under five minutes. In 2025 the average response time was five minutes and six seconds across all incidents.

Tom acknowledged the ongoing support of local service groups, including Lions and Rotary, which continue to assist the brigade in a range of ways.