Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade Gold Star recipient Station Officer Colin Munro at home with his wife Paulene. Photo / Dean Taylor
Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade Gold Star recipient Station Officer Colin Munro at home with his wife Paulene. Photo / Dean Taylor
When Colin Munro was growing up in Papakura in the 1960s and 1970s he was surrounded by family members who believed in community service, so it is no surprise he has been recognised for his service to volunteer firefighting.
What is unusual is the effort required for Colin to achieve that recognition.
On Saturday evening Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade Station Officer Colin Munro, his wife Paulene and family were piped into the Station Hall by Te Awamutu and District Highland Pipe Band, through a guard of honour of firefighters, to be presented with his Gold Star and honoured for 25 years’ service.
Colin and Paulene Munro and family were piped into the hall by Te Awamutu and District Highland Pipe Band through a Firefighter Guard of Honour. Photo / Dean Taylor
Colin became the 39th Gold Star recipient for the brigade.
The official award was made by United Fire Brigades Association’s past president and Morrinsville Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Brian Watters.
Colin Munro receives his Gold Star from Brian Watters, past president of the United Fire Brigades
Association and Chief Fire Officer of Morrinsville Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Speakers to follow were Fire and Emergency New Zealand group manager Waikato area David Brown, Auckland Provincial Fire Brigades Association senior vice president and Putaruru Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Nathan Bennetto, Auckland Provincial Fire Brigades Gold Star Association senior vice president and Te Awamutu Life Honorary Member Grant Mitchell and Officer in Charge of Papakura Volunteer Fire Brigade Craig Schick, some of whom also made presentations.
Representing the local and wider community were Waipa Mayor Susan O’Regan and Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger.
Every speaker not only paid tribute to the service and commitment of Colin, and his fellow firefighters and volunteers but also to Paulene and the family for the sacrifices they have to make to support a volunteer firefighter.
Concluding the speeches for the presentation was Te Awamutu Chief Fire Officer Ian Campbell, who reiterated the comments made by other speakers, and said while the Gold Star was a high honour for a fireman, in the Te Awamutu Brigade the true measure of effort, commitment, value and service was to be awarded Life Honorary Membership.
Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Ian Campbell presenting Life Honourary Membership of the Te Awamutu Brigade to Colin Munro, watched by his wife Paulene. Photo / Dean Taylor
He said Colin truly met the criteria for that award and it was his honour to invite him to join the elite group of Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade Life Honorary Members.
Colin had attended thousands of emergency calls over 25 years, with an attendance record into the 90th percentile - a truly remarkable effort.
The last word went to Colin, who was humbled by the honours he had received.
He too thanked Paulene and his family for everything they had done to support his volunteer work, as well as his employers over the years, especially his current employer Blue Pacific Minerals, for allowing him to serve his community.
Colin said in his family he was always going to be a firefighter and he valued both what he could offer the community, but also the camaraderie of the brigade and the opportunities it gave him to pass on his skills to the new wave of recruits.
MC Deputy Chief Fire Officer Karl Tutty gets proceedings underway in from of Gold Star recipient Colin Munro, his wife Paulene and daughter and son-in-law Hannah and Cameron Little. Photo / Dean Taylor
He became the third generation to serve as a firefighter when he joined, and now there are four generations - his nephew Jarrod Spicer is both a Te Awamutu volunteer and a professional firefighter with Hamilton Brigade.
In all, there are seven extended members of his family who are or have been firefighters.
Back in Papakura as a youngster, a huge influence was his grandfather who was a firefighter, as was an uncle.
Colin and two of his cousins would get into his grandfather’s kit and pretend to be firemen and when they were aged 7-10 they made a pact that when they were old enough they would join the brigade.
Dignitaries, family and friends of Colin Munro's and some of the guests present at the Gold Star Award. Photo / Dean Taylor
Two of the cousins kept their promise, and when he turned 18 Colin signed up for the local brigade.
He was starting a career in water services with the local council, and they encouraged staff to volunteer where they could.
The Papakura Fire Brigade was a mix of professionals and volunteers.
Colin rose to the rank of Station Officer in Charge, the highest rank for a volunteer in the station, in a short time.
It was a busy station, with 200-250 calls per year.
“We didn’t have all the fire prevention devices like today, such as smoke detectors and suppression systems, so there were a lot more building fires,” says Colin.
Gold Star recipient Colin Munro addressing Saturday night's attendees. Photo / Dean Taylor
“Firefighters worked hard and played hard,” he says.
Colin says that culture has changed, which is for the good, but the camaraderie still remains and brigades as local organisations are generally more family-orientated.
His tenure at Papakura Brigade lasted 10 years. Colin had been promoted in his council job and couldn’t make the commitment required to do the force justice, so he resigned.
He didn’t stop thinking about volunteering though, so after a few years when circumstances had changed, he started thinking about rejoining.
Colin had a 20-year career with the council and took voluntary redundancy after he had effectively successfully automated his role.
“I had other offers, but wanted a change of career,” says Colin.
He went into agricultural sales and in 2008 that brought him to Te Awamutu.
He is the technical sales representative for Waikato, King Country and Bay of Plenty for Tokoroa-based Blue Pacific Minerals, based from his home office.
Something else happened in 2008 - Colin approached Te Awamutu Fire Brigade chief Ian Campbell and asked about joining.
The answer was yes, but after 18 years out of the service, he was required to start again.
Colin said that was no problem, and he just knuckled down and got it done.
Soon his experience and leadership saw him rise back through the ranks to be Station Officer.
Humbled: Gold Star recipient Colin Munro. Photo / Dean Taylor
Colin says Te Awamutu is very busy, with about 400 calls per year, but the nature has changed.
“We are now called Fire and Emergency, which reflects more accurately what we do,” he says.
“A lot of our calls are responses to alarms, vehicle crashes and to support St John Ambulance responders at cardiac emergencies.
“The service has a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with St John and we work together, although often we arrive first because their service is so under pressure.”
As well as emergency call-outs, brigade life also involves training nights or a brigade meeting every week, extra training and workshops on new techniques, public demonstrations, award events and social occasions.
Colin Munro's wife Paulene (right) receives flowers from Brigade Chief Ian Campbell's wife Sharlene in appreciation of the sacrifices firefighter partners and families have to endure. Photo / Dean Taylor
Colin says these are all valuable aspects of being a firefighter in your community, and over time you make lifelong friends.
