Bay View Fire Cadets

30/09/2026

Calling all potential Cadets!

Are you Year 7 to Year 13? We are recruiting now for the final term of the year and we would love for you to join us.

Bay View Fire Cadets is more than just learning firefighting. Led by experienced firefighters from the Bay View Fire Brigade, the cadets are a whanau that support each other to grow as a crew and individually. We help each other to push out of our comfort zones, learn leadership skills and gain confidence in the basics of firefighting, first aid and keeping ourselves and others safe.

We love a laugh. We work hard and we are so lucky to be surrounded by the best little community that has given us some awesome opportunities in 2026.

If this sounds like you, please email [email protected] to enrol now!

30/08/2026

30/08/2026

It has been another action packed few weeks at training and it’s awesome to see our Cadets gaining confidence and learning plenty of new skills. This bunch love a laugh but they also know when to knuckle down and get into their work. They are a great group and make our job super enjoyable!

We have been focusing on fire extinguisher training - the types of extinguishers we have on our trucks and which ones you’d find in homes or in public. They learnt the PTASS acronym for operating an extinguisher which is also a good one for everyone to remember:

P - Pull the safety pin or remove the clip to unlock the handle.
T - Test sq**rt the extinguisher before approaching the fire to ensure it works properly.
A - Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire (the fuel source, not the flames) from a safe distance of 2 to 3 meters.
S - Squeeze the handles together firmly to release the extinguishing agent.
S - Sweep the nozzle from side to side across the base of the fire until it is completely out.

These skills were then put to the test in an oven fire scenario which everyone aced!

We have also been focusing on our search and rescue skills and patient extraction. The cadets learnt how to follow a BA main guide line, navigate obstacles blindfolded, and then search for patients in a smoked out room. They also learnt the importance of clear, effective communication with their partners, A bit of a curveball was thrown when we sneakily swapped the rescue dummies out for real people to see how the cadets would successfully extricate them. These Cadets definitely impressed us and did an epic job.

06/08/2026

It’s been a whirlwind start to term 3 here at the Bay View Fire Cadets!
We have welcomed in 5 awesome new cadets to our unit and they are all so eager and keen to learn!

Last night we were super grateful to have Hato Hone St John on station.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Hato Hone St John have a strong working relationship, as we work closely together at a variety of incidents. Us firefighters at the Bay View Fire Station are also trained medical co-responders, meaning that at some medical calls like cardiac arrests, we may be the first on scene to start CPR, manage the airway and provide defibrillation. It is important that our cadets receive training in basic first aid and effective CPR as it is a skill that they can take with them into the public to provide assistance if ever needed.

A massive thank you to James who bought along a frontline ambulance and gave our cadets a practical, hands on lesson, equipping them with some vital skills. From feeling what is like to have oxygen on (some were upset it wasn’t laughing gas), to wearing a c-collar, navigating stairs using the Stryker Stair-Pro and learning how to operate the stretcher, our cadets definitely made the most of this opportunity!

05/07/2026

The excitement is real as we prepare to welcome our new intake of fire cadets in term 3!
But good news! There are still a few places left and still time to enrol.

If you or someone you know is Year 7 to Year 13 and keen to learn firefighting skills, leadership and gain confidence, please get in touch with Jess - [email protected]

We train each Wednesday during term time at the Bay View Fire Station.

01/07/2026

Last night we had our final training of term 2 and got to celebrate 7 cadets who successfully graduated their initial 10 week programme!
Our introductory programme is 10 weeks of structured sessions that teach fundamental firefighting skills, build confidence and develop communication and leadership.

We are incredibly proud of our graduates who showed up week after week, keen and ready to learn. Their commitment to the programme just shows that they are willing to learn the skills needed to serve their community and that is a pretty honorable thing at a young age.

Thank you to all the families that came to support the cadets last night. We loved being able to show you around the skills stations and share kai with you all. (Shout out to the Mad Butcher Napier for the yummy sausages and onions!) There were also some pretty serious CPR battles going on between parents, so well done to those who gave it a go!

Thank you to my fellow Bay View Volunteer Firefighters who continue to show up each week and help train these amazing Cadets. Your time and dedication to this Cadet unit is so appreciated and it couldn’t be done without you all.

Lastly thank you to the community that has supported our cadets this term. To Craig and Jodi who gave us their burn pile to light, to Te Pōhue Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade for showing the cadets your trucks and doing a water relay scenario with us, Hawke’s Bay Airport Fire Rescue team for showing us around the new station and letting us play on the famous ‘Judy Drench’, Hastings Fire Station for allowing us to train in your BATB, and to the Bay View Community Charitable Trust Inc. for once again sponsoring T-Shirts for our cadets. Thank you all!

We are so excited to welcome a new intake of cadets next term. If you know a young person (Year 7 to Year 13) that would be interested in joining please email: [email protected]

Bring on Term 3 and have a safe and relaxing school holidays!

24/06/2026

When one of our trainers asked to do a surprise medical scenario for our Cadets, we never thought it would be an Oscar worthy performance!

Last night, just after parade, we heard the yells for help……….and then we saw him. Leg impaled with a metal rod, blood sq**rting from an amputated hand (thank you Al Brown's General Store Kasundi Ketchup), a dramatic fall to the ground. This performance had it all. A+ for commitment SFF Baird. You really outdid yourself. Standing ovation!

17/06/2026

What a training!

Our Bay View Fire Cadets headed down to the brand new Hawke's Bay Airport Fire Station today for a look around — and safe to say, it did not disappoint.

The airport firefighters were incredibly welcoming and gave our cadets the full tour of their flash new digs. Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for — getting hands-on with 'Judy Drench', the Rosenbauer Panther ARFF truck. Each cadet was able to sit in the cab and use the joystick control to throw water and try and knock the cones over.

The cadets also got some great practice in with branch handling using the high pressure delivery and advancing forward to hit the targets.

Honestly, it's visits like this that remind us why we do what we do. Seeing these young people light up around people who are genuinely passionate about their mahi is something else.

A massive thank you to the team at Hawke's Bay Airport Fire Service. You were so generous with your time and expertise, and our cadets (and trainers 😉) absolutely loved every minute of it. We really appreciate you investing in the next generation. 🔥

10/06/2026

Tonight we took the Cadets for a trip over to the Hastings Fire Station to train in their BATB.

The BATB ( Breathing Apparatus Training Building), is a space we firefighters train in that allows us to become confident moving through confined spaces and obstacles in complete darkness wearing full level 2 PPE and breathing apparatus. Think of it as a hot, dark Chipmunks Playland for firefighters 😂

Our cadets had the incredible opportunity to experience this for themselves in their level 1 PPE. After a quick practice session with the lights on, they were paired up and braved the building in the dark. Negotiating three levels, tyres, nets, trapdoors, ladders and more, following a guide line the entire way.

They aced it! Their confidence grew each time they went through and they realised just how important communication and looking after their partner is. Needless to say the van ride back home was filled with a lot of excitement for what they’d accomplished.

A massive thank you to SFF McQuade from the Hastings Station for allowing us to visit and for overseeing our training tonight. This was an amazing opportunity for our cadets and they won’t forget it anytime soon.

A big thank you also to Eskdale School for allowing us use of the school van to transport our Cadets safely to and from the BATB. We really appreciate your kindness. (We also tuned the radio back to The Breeze for you Mr Cheer 😉).

27/05/2026

We love our community! We are so grateful to Craig and Jodi who saw our page and kindly offered us their epic burn pile for our cadet training.

This afternoon we headed over to their property and got to work. A health and safety briefing took place followed by a 360 site inspection to identify hazards. We spoke about the safe person concept - keeping ourselves and our crew safe and ensuring we had the correct PPE on. We then discussed the stages of a fire and the fire triangle.

We then got to work dampening down the surrounding grass and bushes before finding a safe space to stand while it was lit. The pile was nice and dry so caught alight quickly. The cadets were then tasked to keep an eye out for ember transfer and hot spots. We had our trusty tanker on site in case we needed it.

It was a great opportunity for our cadets to experience this in a safe and controlled environment. Thanks again Craig and Jodi!