Greymouth Volunteer Fire Brigade

05/06/2026

28/05/2026

🚒 Firefighter Friday 🚒
�🔥 This is Grant 🔥

👨‍🚒 Rank/Role�Senior Firefighter

⏳ How long have you been in the fire brigade?�16 Years

🔥 What made you join the brigade?�The short answer is John “Cocky” Walton — and I wanted to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps after his 42 years of service with the Rotorua Volunteer Fire Brigade. After plenty of “gentle persuasion” from Cocky at the gym, I went to a training night and never looked back.

💼 What do you do for work outside of the brigade?�I’m lucky enough to have pursued my passion for the fire service and now work for FENZ as an Advisor Risk Reduction, working in the compliance space and fire investigation.

🚨 First callout you remember – what happened?�My first callout I remember was a motor vehicle accident (MVA). Everything happened so quickly — it was a busy job. I remember thinking, “wow, this is great,” and helping others in their time of need felt amazing.

🌱 What surprised you most about becoming a volunteer?�The personal growth I’ve achieved since being in the brigade.

🛠️ What is one skill you have learnt from the brigade?�To slow down, take time to assess the situation, and act accordingly (some might say I used to be a bit of a hot head 🤣🤣).

⏰ What is the hardest part of being a volunteer?�Waking up to the pager in the early hours of the morning.

❤️ What is the best part of being a volunteer?�The feeling you get helping your community — it’s an amazing feeling knowing you’ve made a difference to someone in their hour of need.

🤝 Who in the brigade would you always want beside you at a job?�There’s no one person — everyone brings their own set of skills, and I value that in the heat of the job.

🎯 What surprised you most about becoming a volunteer?�The wide and varied skills I’ve learnt during my time as a volunteer.

🗣️ What’s one skill you’ve learnt from the brigade?�Communication!!! I can talk — but I haven’t always listened. Learning to really listen has been invaluable.

🔥 Favourite drill or training scenario?�Live fire training.

🏡 Why is volunteering important in our community?�Whether it’s Fire and Emergency, St John, the Cancer Society, or countless other organisations — our communities rely on people willing to step up. Volunteers give so much to support others.

🚪 What would you say to someone thinking about joining?�Just come and have a look! Even if you don’t think you have the skills, you might surprise yourself. There’s a job for anybody in any brigade. The camaraderie and friendships you build are incredible — not just in your brigade, but across the country.

👏 What’s something you’re proud of about our brigade?�The appreciation that is shown to us by our community.

14/05/2026

🚒🔥 FIREFIGHTER FRIDAY 🔥🚒

Meet Rebecca

• 🚒 Rank / Role in Brigade:
Senior Firefighter, also involved in brigade recruitment, community events, and engagement.

• ⏱️ How long have you been with the brigade?
8 years.

• ❤️ What made you join the brigade?
I joined the brigade because I wanted to give back to the community. I wanted a role where I could challenge myself, learn new skills, and genuinely help others when they need it most. The brigade offers all of that, and working as part of a team really appealed to me.

• 💼 What do you do outside the brigade?
Probation Officer at Greymouth Community Corrections.

• 🚨 What surprised you most about becoming a volunteer firefighter?
What surprised me the most was how rewarding it feels. You go in thinking you’re just helping, but the impact it has on people really sticks with you.

• 🧯 What’s one skill you’ve learned from the brigade?
Teamwork, communication, and staying calm under pressure. With so many hands-on emergency skills, you really learn to rely on each other.

• 🔥 Favourite drill or training scenario?
I enjoy the training sessions where you pick up new skills or refine techniques. You can see yourself improving, which is very rewarding.

• 👨‍🚒 Best part of being a volunteer firefighter?
The people, definitely. The sense of camaraderie and trust you build with the team is something special — you end up with a second whānau.

• 🚑 What’s one thing people don’t realise about volunteering?
People don’t realise how strong the team bond becomes. It’s not just volunteering — it’s being part of a second whānau.

• 🌟 Why is volunteering important in our community?
It keeps our community strong and connected. It means there are people ready to step in and help when it’s needed, whether that’s emergencies or everyday situations. It also brings people together and creates a sense of trust and support.

• 🚒💭 What would you say to someone thinking about joining?
I’d say this is one of the most rewarding things you can do. You’ll challenge yourself, meet great people, and make a real difference in your community.

• 🏆 What’s something you’re proud of about our brigade?
I’m proud of our team — how we work together, support each other, and turn up for the community when it matters most. We also support each other outside the brigade. If any of the team needs a hand, we’re all there no matter what.

Pictured with Rebecca is her Grandson Archer at a FireWire visit that was done at his school.

01/05/2026

The Greymouth Volunteer Fire brigade would like to acknowledge the passing of Patrick John Kiley (Pat)

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, High Street on Tuesday the 5th May at 1.30pm,

Pat will then be laid to rest at the Karoro Lawn Cemetery.

Members retired and serving are respectfully requested to attend the Funeral of Station Officer Patrick John Kiely (Pat) Greymouth Brigade, Gold Star Member, on Tuesday at 1.30pm, at St Patrick’s Catholic Church Greymouth.

Full undress uniform and caps to be worn.

Lee Swinburn, CFO Greymouth.

01/04/2026

⏰🔥 Time to Wind Back & Stay on Track! 🔥⏰

This weekend we’re turning the clocks back ⏳—but it’s also the perfect time to step up your safety game!

While you’re changing your clocks, take a minute to:
✅ Check your smoke alarms
✅ Test the batteries
✅ Make sure everyone in the house knows the escape plan

A working smoke alarm can be the difference when seconds count.

Let’s keep Greymouth safe this winter—because a quick check now could save lives later. ❤️🚒

26/03/2026

🔥FRIDAY FIREFIGHTER SPOTLIGHT🔥
🚨 Liam 🚨

🔥 How long have you been with the brigade?
“It will be three years by the end of this year”

🔥 What made you join the brigade?
“A good friend of mine Kelly insisted I come along for a training night, and I’ve never looked back since”.

🔥 What do you do for work outside of the brigade?
“I work for the Ministry of Justice”

🔥 What surprised you the most about becoming a volunteer?
“I was surprised at how much networking there is between all other brigades. With all the extra activities that are available, from waterways challenge, driver challenge and firefighter challenge to the Sky Tower climb and inter emergency services cricket game. There are so many great opportunities to get involved in something extra and meet great people while doing it”.

🔥 What’s one skill you’ve learned from the brigade?
“Tenacity. Finding that metaphorical mental wall and breaking through it”.
🔥 Who in the brigade would you always want beside you at a job?
“Each and every one of the amazing men and women in the brigade I would want by my side. However, if I were only allowed to pick one. It would have to be Griff. He and I started at the same time and have come up together. Plus, he’s a damn good firefighter”.

🔥 What’s one thing people don’t realise about volunteering?
How rewarding it is. There’s a great sense of achievement that comes with volunteering as a firefighter and the camaraderie that comes with being a part of the Greymouth brigade is fantastic.

🔥 What would you say to someone who is thinking about joining?
“DO IT! It will test you and challenge you. But the end result is you become the best version of yourself, make lifelong friends and gain skills that you will carry with you for life”.

🔥 What’s something you’re proud of about our brigade?
“It’s the people for me. Each and every one of them would give you the shirt off their backs. They wouldn’t think twice about dropping everything to help. They encourage and challenge you to be better and know how to have a laugh at the end of the day”.

07/03/2026

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day and recognise the incredible women who make our brigade and community stronger.

To the women who serve on the front line of our volunteer fire brigade — thank you. Your commitment, courage, and willingness to step forward when the pager goes off helps keep our community safe.

But today we also acknowledge the wives, partners, mothers, daughters, family members, and friends who stand behind our firefighters. The ones who understand when a call-out interrupts dinner, a family event, or a night’s sleep. Your support, patience, and encouragement make volunteering possible.