Back with 'the brotherhood' 17 years after cheating death

Tom Scott, injured when his fire truck rolled in Taupo in the 90s is back working (volunteering) for the fire service in Te Puke. Photo / Mark McKeown

November 19, 1995, is the day Tom Scott's life changed.

He was a firefighter in the Taupo brigade and he and the rest of his crew had been at a traffic accident when they were directed to a fire.

Mr Scott was in the back seat, out of his seatbelt while he added protective clothing to his kit.

Then the fire truck flipped on Huka Falls Rd.

"We flipped and we hit the ground three times, but we must've flipped a number of times," he said. "I put my arms through the seatbelt but that wasn't enough.

"I was tumbled around like a washing machine. Two of the crew were ejected from the truck."

During the crash, his door swung open and his legs went into the open space.

When the truck came to rest on its side, the heavy door came crashing down on his spine, pinning his legs outside the truck with his body dangling into the cab.

He was flown to Rotorua Hospital for emergency surgery, then to Waikato Hospital, before being transferred to the spinal unit at Auckland Hospital.

He was put into a coma after surgery and his family were twice told he was going to die.

He spent four months in hospital and lost the use of one of his legs.

After 12 months, he was medically discharged from the Fire Service, although he wanted to stay.

"The hardest thing for me was that I thought I could still contribute to the Fire Service," he said.

Last night, he got his wish. Seventeen years after that day, he has rejoined the Fire Service, this time in a support role at the Te Puke brigade.

He began serving as a volunteer firefighter in 1982 in Mount Maunganui.

He joined the service full-time in 1983 when he was 21, and then moved to take the job in Taupo.

His father was a volunteer fireman in Kawerau, as well as in Mount Maunganui.

"My first memories were from the Fire Service. I was raised in the Fire Service."

Last year, he made a comeback, taking part in the Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge in Auckland. He climbed the 1103 steps in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 32 seconds.

Using a brace to lock his inoperative leg, he muscled his way to the top of the building supporting much of his weight on the stairwell handrails.

The climb reconnected him with some old colleagues - including Te Puke station chief Glenn Williams, who is now his boss.

Now he's delighted to be back in the fold.

"I'm loving it. It's refreshing. I feel welcome again.

"For a long time I felt abandoned. Now I feel like I'm back in the brotherhood."

On May 19, Mr Scott plans to tackle the Sky Tower again.

Last year he was the only former or current firefighter from the area to compete. This year, he'll have six Te Puke colleagues keeping him company.

"The camaraderie is just fantastic. They've been really, really encouraging."