Himatangi Beach's Kara Lummis is now a fully qualified volunteer firefighter. Photo / Fire and Emergency NZ
Himatangi Beach's Kara Lummis is now a fully qualified volunteer firefighter. Photo / Fire and Emergency NZ
Secondary school teacher, mum of three, breast cancer survivor, and now a fully qualified volunteer firefighter – Himatangi Beach's Kara Lummis is definitely a wāhine toa.
When Lummis was a little girl living in Island Bay, she would often pass the Fire Service Training School and dream of becoming a firefighter when she grew up.
Fast forward to the early 2000s and Lummis is living with her partner and children in the Horowhenua and spends a lot of time at their family bach in Himatangi Beach.
"I'd hear the siren for the Himatangi Beach volunteer fire brigade and think to myself 'I'd love to do that'."
Himatangi Beach volunteer fire brigade recruits Karl Severinsen and Kara Lummis, who attended an intense training course in Rotorua last month. Photo / Judy Howatson
A move to Australia for a few years came next, then back to Himatangi Beach in 2008 and the desire to be a volunteer firefighter was still strong, "but my boys were only 6 and 8 at the time so I thought they were too young for me to make that kind of commitment".
Then in July 2012, Lummis was diagnosed with breast cancer, which made her reprioritise her life and in 2014, she began fulltime, extramural study to become a teacher.
Over the next four years, Lummis had to shelve her firefighter plans again as she worked five jobs and raised her boys on her own while studying.
After completing her postgrad in teaching at Victoria University in 2017, Lummis was offered a job at Manawatū College, where she now teaches science, financial literacy and mana wahine.
Fulfilment of a lifelong dream for Himatangi Beach resident and volunteer firefighter Kara Lummis. Image / Supplied
Finally, in August 2020 at the age of 51, "I decided now was the time", said Lummis, and after passing a medical and a first aid course, she joined the Himatangi Beach volunteer fire brigade as a recruit.
Over the next 15 months, with fellow volunteer recruit Karl Severinsen, Lummis balanced extra training with her daytime job, in preparation for a seven-day intensive firefighter course held in Rotorua last month.
"[That week] was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," said Lummis, "and I was worried about the weakness of the muscle tone under my right arm [because of my mastectomy]."
The firefighter course included ladder work, rolling out and setting up hoses, lots of work with breathing apparatus, search and rescue, and even an opportunity to work with a live fire to get an understanding of the heat and noise.
Kara Lummis was joint winner of the Best All Round Fire Fighter at Himatangi Beach volunteer fire brigade's recent Honours evening. Photo / Kara Lummis
"Before doing this course I could go on call-out as a support person but was not allowed any active involvement," Lummis said.
When asked if she'd encourage other women to sign up as volunteer firefighters, Lummis said "Hell yes – most definitely! Most smaller towns need extra volunteers to help cover manning the truck(s), during the day especially."
And to top off 2021 in style, Lummis was the joint winner of the Best All Round Firefighter at Himatangi Beach volunteer fire brigade's recent honours evening. She shared the cup with Hayden Dear, an ex-pupil of Manawatū College.
