Brian Hutchins marks 25 years with Woodville volunteer fire brigade. He works at Fonterra who are great at letting him take time off to attend emergencies.
Brian Hutchins reckons that without his family, he couldn’t do what he does as chief of Woodville’s volunteer fire brigade.
So when he got his Gold Star, marking 25 years in the brigade, at a gathering last week, he counted it as recognition of his family’s support.
“You can’t do it without family support,” he says, especially when he gets those callouts in the early hours of the morning.
“It impacts on them hugely. And I’m a firm believer that 25 years is not just my 25 years.”
Twenty-five years ago, Hutchins, who knew a couple of people in the Woodville brigade, decided to tag along one night.
“A lot of people say that only go along for a look and they don’t intend to spend 25 years, but here we are.”
Brigades such as Woodville and many other rural townships, are voluntary.
While Fire and Emergency NZ supplies the equipment and the training, Brian says it’s up to the community to supply the people.
“So without the people there wouldn’t be a brigade.”
Hutchins has seen a few changes in the years he’s been serving, such as in the equipment.
“They’ve made it a lot safer,” he says.
There is also a greater focus on wellbeing and mental health support.
“It can be quite traumatic at times and knowing that they’ve got mechanisms in place for yourself as well as your family - because it affects your family as well - that’s reassuring.”
Hutchins has certainly seen his share of incidents, and some of the toughest to deal with can involve children or fatalities.
“It’s good that you’re there to help support but on the other hand it’s seeing people at their worst.”
There have been some funny incidents as well, which provided some variety.
The brigade is often called to medical events, as they’re fully trained in first aid.
“It’s always funny that you turn up and the person who’s called, they’re expecting an ambulance,” Brian says, adding that they’re often dispatched first because they can get there quickly, rather than an ambulance that might have to come from Palmerston North or Dannevirke.
Some of the incidents they have attended involved the Saddle Rd, and before that the Manawatū Gorge.
Hutchins, who works for Fonterra, says his employers are great about him needing to go to attend any incidents, especially since he took over as chief of the brigade about 18 months ago.
He says he’s been lucky to have some really good mentors over the years.
“I’ve been very lucky with the last three chiefs I’ve served under.
“They’ve been really great people and leaders.”
He also says he has great people around him in the brigade.
“They will do anything to help out and they’re a great bunch of people.”
Leanne Warr has been editor of the Bush Telegraph since May 2023 and a journalist since 1996. She re-joined NZME in June 2021.
