Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Colin Munro. Photo: Jeremy Smith.
Te Awamutu’s Colin Munro has been honoured after reaching an “incredibly special” milestone.
He was awarded a Gold Star for 25 years in the fire service at the Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade’s Palmer St fire station on Saturday and also received an honorary life membership to the brigade.
More than 100 people – Colin’s friends, family and brigade colleagues, United Fire Brigades’ Association, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Auckland provincial fire brigades Gold Star association representatives and Waipā Mayor Susan O’Regan – were present.
Colin’s quarter of a century’s service includes a decade with Papakura Volunteer Fire Brigade between 1980 and 1990, and 15 years with the Te Awamutu brigade, where he rejoined the fire service in 2008.
“It’s very special to be a part of our brigade, but our roles aren’t possible without family support,” he told The News,
“In my case, I honour my incredible wife, Paulene.”
“I sometimes get asked how we deal with the difficult parts of volunteering. All I can say is you don’t get used to it but, in a way, you become conditioned.”
Colin shifted to Te Awamutu to work in the agricultural sector in 2007 and several of his clients in his new Waikato territory were firefighters in their respective communities.
“I’d always end up talking fire service with those guys,” Colin said.
So, when he heard Te Awamutu always wanted more volunteers, Colin offered his services.
“I was 18 when I joined the Papakura brigade – those first 10 years seemed to take a long time.
“The last 15 though have flown by. I suppose, as they say, the older we get the faster the years roll on.
“I enjoy working in a supportive team and having the opportunity to save lives and property.”
Colin is the third of four generations of his family who have been volunteer firefighters.
The first was his grandfather the Maramarua Fire Brigade’s deputy chief fire officer, while a second cousin was the second.
Colin and a cousin are the third generation, and his nephew – the fourth – is a firefighter in Hamilton.
“Many people volunteer in different things. For me, that time’s been committed to the fire service.
“I grew up in a community-orientated family. My mother received a community services award in Papakura, and my father supported her in that. In a way, community service has been modelled all my life.”
Colin is now a station officer, and with the Te Awamutu brigade’s roughly 36 current volunteers divided into three crews, he is responsible for overseeing one of them.
These days, as “one of the busiest” Waikato brigades, Te Awamutu volunteers average about 400 call outs every year.
Colin is still working as an agricultural sector technical sales advisor covering a territory from Hamilton to Taumarunui and Reporoa to Ōpōtiki so work is a mix of travel and working from home.
He is in Te Awamutu up to two days a week and attends 50 or 60 per cent of calls today.
Though it requires a balance between work and the brigade, Colin wouldn’t have it any other way.
“You get used to it. When I’m in town, I try to attend most calls. I find a great deal of satisfaction in helping others and we have an amazing team. Our employers who allow us to attend calls during work hours are so supportive.
“I sometimes get asked how we deal with the difficult parts of volunteering. All I can say is you don’t get used to it but, in a way, you become conditioned.
“Brigade camaraderie and support is key. We debrief on site if practical, then again on returning to the station. And we have a fantastic support network within Fire and Emergency.”
Colin says the number of medically-related callouts has greatly increased in recent times after the fire service – alongside St John – began attending cardiac arrest calls.
His desire to outwork the “calling” to look after Te Awamutu has never wavered.
“I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be around a few more years yet.”
Volunteer fire fighters have working lives; Colin is an agricultural sector technical sales advisor covering a territory from Hamilton to Taumarunui and Reporoa to Ōpōtiki.
