150th Anniversary of Firefighting In Tāmaki Makaurau

The public is invited to join firefighters past and present and emergency partners on Sunday 17 March at a free open day at The Cloud on Queens Wharf marking the 150th anniversary of the Auckland Fire Brigade.

Auckland’s first official fire brigade was established in 1874 and consisted of a fire chief and a small team of dedicated volunteers who dragged their few hoses, hose reels, and ladders to attend fires in the inner city and a few fringe suburbs.

Today, Fire and Emergency New Zealand serves and protects a population of more than 1.3 million Aucklanders using the latest fire trucks, equipment, and technology with paid and volunteer staff.

Organisers are expecting large crowds at the open day, where key attractions will include displays of original fire trucks and equipment dating back to the 1800s alongside state-of-the-art fire appliances and specialist gear in use by firefighters today.

Fire and Emergency NZ’s Specialist High Angle Rescue and Urban Search and Rescue teams will demonstrate the essential work they undertake, and interactive displays and Virtual Reality activities with safety and readiness messages will be on hand.

Exhibitions of rare archival material will tell the colourful and rich history of firefighting in the region and the trailblazing local men and women who were instrumental in shaping and influencing what has developed into the modern emergency response we have across New Zealand.