National Fire Service station officially established in Tari

The National Fire Service now has a permanent station in Tari Town, Hela Province.

The establishment follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed early last month between the Hela provincial government, National Fire Service and the National Airports Corporation.

The provincial government and people of Hela officially welcomed NFS Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo and his delegation, and formally announced the new station.

In a small but significant ceremony in Tari, Hela governor Philip Undialu said the decision came out of a PEC and Provincial Assembly meeting. Members agreed Hela needed an NFS presence due to rapid growth and increasing buildings across the province.

"We have seen recent reports of fires destroying buildings in Mendi and other provinces. Tari is a growing town and urgently needed the service," Undialu said.

"We will not have two separate fire stations – one for NAC and one for the province. We will have one station and share resources."

He said discussions are underway on the location of the station, either at the old or new airport terminal.

"NAC has fire service requirements for aircraft, while NFS provides services to the general public. They will work together. As the host province, the provincial government will build the infrastructure and provide ongoing support. I thank NAC for allocating a space at no cost,” the governor said.

Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo confirmed Superintendent Philip Tai as Tari Fire Station Commander, with 6 firefighters to be stationed in the province immediately.

“Under the structure, 16 to 17 officers will be based at the station. Before the end of the year, we can negotiate to fill about 9 more vacancies to be stationed in the province,” Roo said.

He thanked governor Undialu and the HPG for moving quickly to establish the service after the MOU.

“This shows real commitment and intention. It is vital as Hela sees development and change every day,” Roo said.