Flick puts the flash into fire safety

A volunteer fireman has built a Flick mini fire engine because of a story the Taranaki Daily News wrote about him last year.

Toko dairy farmer Trevor Dent's personal crusade as his alter ego Fireman Trev to teach children about fire hazards, was the subject of a story last September.

"I was literally overwhelmed with calls from people who were impressed with the story and what I was doing in my spare time," he says. "It was quite humbling. But it inspired me to take Fireman Trev to a new level, and somehow my wife Colleen and I came up with the idea of building a small fire engine that the kids could relate to."

They bought a 1962 Morris Minor 1000 from Auckland, for $5000 in a Trade Me auction.

Over the past 12 months, with the assistance of a large number of local businesses and sponsors, this has been transformed into a sparkling red Flick, the name borrowed from the popular children's radio story.

Flick will make its public debut in tonight's Stratford Christmas parade.

It has a siren, flashing lights, ladders, hose reel, signage on the doors, a microphone and loudspeaker and it can even spray water. For 12 years Mr Dent has been taking his fire safety and education messages to the schools and play centres of Stratford and eastern Taranaki.

"Now I can drive up in little Flick and I'm sure they'll get a real buzz out of it," he said.

The project began with panelbeaters Arthur and Errol Davis stripping and restoring the Morris from the chassis up; Nigel Old (Stratford Automotive) renewed the wiring and added an alternator; Ivan Pretty, of Midhirst, did the paint job; Union Yamaha built a water pump; Noel Webby Engineering did the steelwork; Dairymaster provided the stainless steel pipes; Brian Lynch, of New Plymouth, did some creative timberwork; and Wayne O'Keefe and Terry Sullivan the signwriting; Selectrix has promised a stereo system.

 The Christmas parade departs from the memorial centre carpark at 6.30pm and heads along Broadway.

- © Fairfax NZ News