Firefighter Rex Cotter reflects on 60 years of service in Pāpāmoa and Tīrau

Rex Cotter with his wife Barbara and Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford where he was presented with his 60-year service certificate.

Monday August 5, 1957, at 6.30pm, was the date and time Rex Cotter, 85, started his 60 years of service as a volunteer firefighter.

“I did 30 years in Tīrau, and I’ve just done 30 years in Pāpāmoa,” said Cotter.

As a kid, Cotter lived on the corner of State Highways 1, 5 and 27 in Tīrau, and he could still recall the first time he encountered a fire.

He said everyone got out but the owner went back in for an unknown reason.

“He never came out.”

There was no fire service in Tīrau at the time, so his father, a businessman, called a town meeting and asked the community if they wanted and needed a volunteer fire brigade.

“The outcome of that was, yes, we certainly do so,” said Cotter.

He joined the volunteer service at 18, vividly recalling his first day.

“I progressed from being a cadet fireman through to being the chief fire officer.”

Before resigning, he was the chief in Tīrau for 13 years, one of the youngest in the country. He joined the Pāpāmoa brigade seven years after leaving Tīrau.

The Pāpāmoa fire station on Parton Rd in 2020. Photo / George Novak

They built their own fire engine with only a one-inch air pump and a little water tank, which was sufficient. Not long after, the brigade purchased a standard fire trailer.

“Then we had this lovely little pump that pumped much more water.

“That really got us going.

There was little money for the fire service then, as the council and the larger municipalities ran it in bigger cities, such as Auckland.

“So we fundraised and all the usual things.”

According to Cotter, motor vehicle collisions were the main reason for the fire service’s callouts in Tīrau.

“Some horrific ones, buses and things, involving lots of people being injured.”

He recalled attending a fire at the Wairoa Dairy Factory, where they battled a blaze for days.

“It was just a huge fire. That was one of the biggest ones we ever saw.”

He would fly worldwide, visiting various fire departments and participating in the World Fire Fighter Games - winning gold in Canada for his age group in swimming.

Cotter said he always encourages people to join the volunteer fire brigade but stressed that it did not matter whether you were a permanent firefighter or volunteering.

“A fire’s a fire.

“If you’re not trained and you’re not capable of using the equipment to the best of its ability, well, you’re not doing the job.

“We do a lot of training.”

He said people who have been in permanent fire brigades may leave and join the volunteers and volunteers take the permanent firefighter pathway.

The evolution of firefighter technology impressed Cotter, and they said things like the new breathing apparatus and portable defibrillators had been lifesavers.

“We fought all our fires in sheds with [banned insecticide] Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and all this other stuff.

“We had no breathing apparatus, just gumboots and shorts. It’s amazing we’re all still here.”

His days of getting on the truck with sirens blaring are behind him.

“Been there, done that. I’m the cleaning lady now.”

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford. Photo / file

Cotter served alongside Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford, who was a volunteer firefighter before his political career.

“Volunteer firefighters play a vital role in helping protect our community,” said Rutherford.

“As a former volunteer firefighter, I am incredibly proud of the 11,832 volunteers across New Zealand.”

“People like Rex and all our other local volunteer firefighters play an important role in helping keep our local community safe,” Rutherford said.

Lifesaving fire tips from Cotter

Electrical fires: Turn off the electricity and leave the door shut. Baking soda will help as well.

Makeshift fire extinguisher: Shake Coca-Cola upside down and unscrew it on the fire.

Trapped in a vehicle near a power pole: Do not exit the car if there are live wires nearby, as this can result in electrocution.

- SunLive