Dust off the tuxedos, slip into your finest gown and prepare for a night of glamour, entertainment and community spirit.

The Pāpāmoa Volunteer Fire Brigade is inviting the community to step into an evening of elegance and support a vital fundraising project at its inaugural Firefighter Fundraising Ball on July 4.

The black-tie event will be held at the Pāpāmoa Surf Lifesaving Club from 6.30pm and promises fine dining and live entertainment while raising funds for a new all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and storage shed.

Brigade member and event organiser Chuck Kroeker says the ball is the first of its kind for Pāpāmoa and he would like to see it become a much-loved annual fixture.

“We’re hoping it’s the start of a long and lengthy tradition – a midwinter excuse to dress up and come together as a community.”

While Kroeker said firefighter balls have never been held in Pāpāmoa before, the concept has a long history overseas.

Originally from Canada, he said firefighter balls had been part of emergency services culture in North America and Europe for generations, providing an opportunity for firefighters to connect with their communities while raising funds for projects.

He said records show firefighter balls were being held in Wisconsin as early as 1860, while a separate tradition emerged in France in 1937.

“It’s pretty entrenched in the culture around emergency services,” Kroeker said.

The funds raised this year will support the brigade’s ATV and shed project, which will improve emergency response capabilities in areas that are difficult for fire trucks to access.

Kroeker said the ATV would be similar to the side-by-side vehicles commonly used by farmers and surf lifesaving clubs. Equipped to carry emergency gear and patients, it would allow firefighters to reach incidents on beaches, sand dunes, rural properties and tracks in the Pāpāmoa Hills.

“It will be ideal for medical responses in those difficult areas,” Kroeker said. “We can transport equipment, carry a stretcher and get people out from way down the beach or remote areas where a fire truck simply can’t go.”

The vehicle would also prove invaluable for vegetation fires, storm events and landslips.

The brigade also wants to raise funds for a purpose-built storage shed for the ATV.

“When you purchase an ATV, you also need somewhere to store it and a way to transport it,” Kroeker said. “Our current storage facilities are not fit for purpose, so a new shed is part of the overall project.”

The firefighters’ ball would also offer an opportunity for residents to learn more about the people behind the local brigade.

Kroeker said many were surprised to discover that his brigade was staffed by volunteers who leave their workplaces and families to respond to emergencies.

“The brigade attends between 250 and 280 callouts each year, responding to everything from medical emergencies and motor vehicle crashes to severe weather events and fires,” Kroeker said.

“A lot of the community doesn’t realise that when they call 111, the firefighters turning up are volunteers. This is a chance for us to engage with the community in a positive way, rather than meeting people on what is often the worst day of their lives.”

The brigade has 24 volunteer firefighters and is continually recruiting and training new members.

Guests attending the ball will receive a three-course dinner, live entertainment and opportunities to meet local firefighters who will be attending in full dress uniform. There will be prize draws and other surprises throughout the evening.

“We’re going big for the first one,” Kroeker said. “We want this to become that event on the calendar that people look forward to every year.”

Tickets are $200 per person, with tables of eight available. “When the call goes out, we’re there to support the community,” Kroeker said. “This is an opportunity for the community to support us in return.”

Purchase tickets at: https://galabid.com/papfire or email: events.papamoa.fire@gmail.com