In the December issue there’s a strong theme – practice makes perfect. We look at several challenges and competitions that have recently been held that not only hone firefighters’ skills, but also provide valuable lessons and a lot of fun. Meanwhile at Headquarters, there’s a changing of the guard, with current Chief Executive/National Commander Mike Hall about to retire, and former Eastern Region Manager Paul Baxter taking over the role.

The November 2011 issue puts the spotlight on Shannon, Levin, and a few of the other small brigades on the lower Manuwatu coast. We look at a new initiative to improve home fire safety in Shannon and Foxton, drawing on the resources of other agencies and organisations in the area. There is also an update on the Volunteer Sustainability Project and we catch up with the Tapanui brigade’s latest news. We also release our latest research report which has examined some of the links between alcohol and house fires.

In the October issue we talk to the Chief Fire Officer of the Taneatua brigade which was first on the scene at an horrific road crash involving a logging truck and a school bus full of children. We show off our latest Rugby World Cup fire safety campaigns, including a wicked deal with Hell Pizza. We spend time in the snow and ice testing new truck technology, head over to Zambia to find out just what a New Zealand volunteer firefighter can achieve when he really puts his mind to something, and of course there’s bits and pieces of news from around the country.

In the September issue of Fire + Rescue we feature the rescue effort at Onehunga following a massive gas explosion in a water main that killed one person and seriously injured other contractors working on the site. We go inside the recent World and Australasian Road Rescue Challenges and also look at the life-saving double whammy that Johnsonville crew celebrated. Other news includes; the pressures on funding, the new Type 2 appliance and an update on our Employer Recognition Programme.

In the August issue we look at the welfare support that has been put in place for firefighters and other personnel in Canterbury in the year since the first major earthquake. There is a feature on the some of the international experience and use of CAFS (compressed air foam systems) in fire fighting. We update personnel on the new operational efficiency and readiness regime and drop in on the Paraparaumu crew who saved a young girl from a house fire. Plus there’s our usual news of initiatives and activities ‘out and about’.

Our feature this month looks at the record number of natural disasters we have attended in the past 12 months – over and above the thousands of incidents related to the Canterbury earthquakes. We turned out to a record number of emergencies as a result of high winds, flooding and a tornado. Meanwhile, Invercargill personnel brought home the fire safety messages, Dunedin had fun with flames and film, and there is news from around the country.

The June issue focuses on a fire in Ashburton which destroyed an historic flour mill. It took the combined resources of many mid Canterbury brigades to bring it under control. We also show off a new character for our Flint and Amber fire safety campaign, celebrate the bravery awards bestowed on personnel recently, and update the progress we are making in adjusting and responding to the ‘new normal’ in Christchurch following the February earthquake.

This month's issue has been delayed by the Christchurch earthquake. It focuses on our response to the emergency, the impact it has had on our organisation and the road to recovery. We also tell some of the stories from a few of the many crews and brigades who pulled out all the stops to carry out rescues and help out their communities.

In this issue we feature our first photographs from the Christchurch 22 February earthquake. National Commander Mike Hall explains the region restructure proposal and we feature the work of the stations and brigades of Wairarapa. There is also a “Fire-side” feature on a fire in a building housing huge mounds of firewood near Levin and a photo essay on the building of our new hazmat/command fleet.

Welcome to the first issue for 2011. In this edition we feature the Pike River Coal Mine disaster; our preparation for the Rugby World Cup, a look at what the future may bring for the Fire Service, and new research that shows just how hard it is to be a rural firefighter. Plus much much more.