Three recent Ōhope Fire Brigade volunteers say joining the brigade has changed their lives for the better.

Josh Walker signed up a year ago, seeking to give back to the community.

“I wanted to be able to help people in need, when they needed it,” he said.

For sisters Lily Leckie and Tilde Florence, it was a way to honour their sister, Julia Florence, who was a valued volunteer with Ōhope Fire Brigade for two years before her death in 2021 and had inspired them with her dedication to the brigade.

Tilde started observing with the brigade at age 15 when her mother and sister joined, but had to wait until she was 16 to start training as a firefighter.

“I really looked up to my sister, and thought it was a cool thing to do,” she said.

“Julia used to describe the adrenaline you would get on callouts, and being able to turn up and help people. I wanted to be like that,” she said.

They said Ōhope Fire Brigade was very welcoming to the newcomers.

“It’s always daunting doing something new, but it’s a pretty cool team to work with,” Mrs Leckie said.

“There’s 12 of us at the moment, and you form some pretty cool bonds and friendships.”

The three started by working through a training workbook referred to as the Red Brick and attending trainings with brigade officers in the months leading up to their FENZ course in Rotorua.

Training in first aid, how to manage live fire, search and rescue and other basic trainings were included.

Brigade chief Chris Staniland said the volunteers were a “competent trio”, and there were no doubts about their ability to succeed.

This year, the brigade has attended more than 30 callouts, including a housefire in Whakatāne, a shop fire in Ōpōtiki and several motor vehicle accidents.

Mr Staniland said in the brigade, there were plenty of jobs to go around and it was okay to be uncomfortable about some scenarios.

“If you are squeamish about something, someone else can cover that. Some people are more comfortable with some parts than others,” he said.

“For life threatening callouts, cardiac callouts and severe trauma, you wouldn’t ever have to go to those alone.”

Mrs Leckie said it was fulfilling to go out and help someone experiencing a tough time, be it a rescue or sitting with someone and talking.

“And when things happen in your own life, you feel a little more equipped to deal with them,” she said.

Tilde recommends the brigade to anyone who is interested.

“It’s a reasonable amount of training and helping out people, and you make a lot of friends,” she said.

“I’m also someone who has a lot of extracurricular activities going on, and it looks great on any CV and applications.”

She is considering studying paramedicine when she finishes school, and said volunteering was a good gateway into a career as a paramedic, police officer or fire fighter.

Mrs Leckie said the brigade required some time commitment, a few hours every Tuesday night for training, and availability throughout the week was a massive advantage for responding to callouts.

Most volunteers work full time and can mark their availability on the AMS app.

Now that Tilde has her restricted licence, she can get an allowance from teachers to leave class for callouts.

Mr Walker, a father of four, said the brigade was very accommodating of family commitments.

“My 12-year-old boy has decided he’s going to be a fireman,” he said.

Mr Staniland said the brigade made sure to throw social events for the families of firefighters throughout the year.

“FENZ and the brigade work to acknowledge the families and the sacrifices they make,” he said.

“It’s also very appreciated when employers can let volunteers leave for calls.”

Anyone wanting to join is invited to check out the brigade on a Tuesday night at 7pm.

“To sign up a person can attend three training nights, see what they think of us and vice versa, then there is a police vetting check and a medical,” he said.

He said new recruits should be at a “reasonable level of fitness, but didn’t need to be super-athletes.

“All you have to do is be keen to do it, and have a bit of dedication.”

Anyone interested can visit the Ohope Fire Brigade on Tuesday nights from 7pm or contact Chief Fire Officer Chris Staniland at 027 921 2381.