Tairua Volunteer FIRE Brigade

18/06/2026

Last week four of our young recruits Aidan , Max , Archer and Lincoln traded the classroom for Fire and Emergency NZ National Training Centre in Rotorua, spending seven days challenging themselves both physically and mentally as they worked through firefighter recruit training.
Our brigade are incredibly proud of each of them for stepping outside their comfort zones, giving it their all, and representing Tairua Volunteer Fire Brigade with professionalism, determination, and maturity well beyond their
years.
The course is demanding and requires recruits to learn and demonstrate a wide range of skills under pressure. Every one of these young firefighters showed commitment, resilience, and a willingness to learn throughout the week.
A huge congratulations to our recruits on their efforts and achievements. The future of our brigade is in good hands, and we can't wait to see each of them continue to grow in their firefighting journey.
Well done boys - we knew you meant business when you all shaved your heads off without telling your parents 😂💪🚒🧑‍🚒

14/06/2026

National Volunteer week 2026.

🫶 Let's talk about the word volunteer. 🫶

A volunteer is someone who chooses to give their time, energy, knowledge and skills to help others, expecting nothing in return.
For Fire and Emergency NZ , that word means so much more.
Across New Zealand, over 11,200 incredible men and women volunteer for their local fire brigades.

Often leaving family dinners, walking away from birthdays, putting down tools at work, leaving warm beds in the middle of the night, and stepping away from their own lives in an instant to help complete strangers.
We do it because someone needs help.

Being a volunteer firefighter isn't just about fighting fires. It's attending medical events, motor vehicle crashes, rescues, weather emergencies, community events, training nights, fundraising, maintenance, paperwork, and countless hours spent learning and preparing for the day the siren / pager goes off.

It's missing family moments.
It's getting out of bed at 2am.
It's training when nobody is watching.
It's showing up when others are running away.
Most importantly, it's about people.
It's about being there for someone who may be experiencing the worst day of their life.

This National Volunteer Week, we want to acknowledge not only our own members here in Tairua, but every volunteer across New Zealand who answers the call when their community needs them most.

Thank you for your dedication, your sacrifice, your commitment and your service.
Communities like ours simply couldn't do it without you , your family members and your employers who support and allow you to show up.

🩷 Volunteers aren't paid because they're worthless. They're priceless. ❤️

A few photos I have shared of us volunteering at the field days last week.
QF SC

07/06/2026

This week, four of our Tairua Volunteer Fire Brigade recruits begin their 7-day Recruit Course at NTC ( national training centre )
Getting to this point doesn't happen by accident. There have been countless hours of training, learning, drills, study, and commitment already invested by each of them before even stepping through the doors.
This is has been done along side school and of course their surf life saving and other commitments.
The Recruit Course is designed to challenge you both mentally and physically. It will test your resilience, teamwork, and determination, but we have no doubt these four young firefighters are up to the challenge.
They have brought a fresh energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn into our brigade, and we are incredibly proud of how far they have already come.
A special thank you also goes to Whangamata Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Nigel Airey for taking Aidan and Archer to their school ball on Saturday night. From all reports, arriving in the fire trucks was definitely one of the highlights of the evening!
To our recruits back yourselves, trust your training, support each other, and give it everything you've got.
The whole brigade is behind you and cheering you on.
Enjoy the week boys you've got this. 🚒🔥

27/05/2026

Another year, another incredibly humbling experience attending the Blood Cancer Sky Tower Challenge alongside some pretty amazing people. ❤️🚒
This year our little Tairua crew was represented by myself, Sarah Jarrett and ex-Tairua volunteer Joe Ferguson and together, alongside Jenny’s incredible efforts, we raised over $8000 for blood cancer research and support services.
A massive acknowledgement has to go to Jenny Tawa from Squad 51.
Jenny is the wife of our now Chief Rik Tawa who has faced his own battle with cancer, so this challenge carried a very personal meaning. With such a huge number of nominees this year, it was genuinely exciting to see Jenny get selected.
What started as a conversation became something Jenny completely threw her heart and soul into. She didn’t just show up she absolutely embraced every part of it. From training, fundraising, community support, and sharing the journey, she went above and beyond, smashing past her fundraising goal and raising over $5000 alone.
And then to top it off, she conquered the Sky Tower in only 22 minutes which is an incredible effort in full firefighting gear.
Anyone who has done this event knows it is far more than just climbing stairs. It is physically hard, mentally challenging, emotional, hot, uncomfortable, and somewhere around those higher levels you usually question every life choice that led you there. But at the same time, it is one of the most rewarding and grounding experiences you can be part of.
Days like this remind you why these events matter. They remind you how many families are impacted by cancer and how important fundraising, awareness, and support truly are.
Most of all, they remind you how lucky we are to be part of an organisation filled with people willing to step outside their comfort zones for others.
So proud of everyone involved this year.
Sharni Champion QFF 🧑‍🚒

A few words from the team.

Jenny 🌹
“Thank you, Tairua Fire Brigade, and especially Sharni Champion. I am truly grateful to have been part of this incredible experience. The support I received from everyone was overwhelming. I put in the mahi to prepare myself, but being inside that stairwell was a completely different experience; hard is an understatement! I smashed my fundraising and time goals, so my cup is full. Such a great cause to support. Firefighters of New Zealand (and some further afield), you are simply amazing.”

Sarah 🚨
“3rd timed skytower event, always said if I got under 20 minutes I'd never do it again. Despite not thinking I'd even be close to my goal, managed to beat it significantly, and now I want to do it again 🤣 see ya next year skytower 😬
Thanks to our awesome community and my family for supporting us to support this cause, from donating money, to looking after Charlie so I can train and do the event ❤️ so grateful "

Joe 🧑‍🚒
“Great day, great event, great people even better cause. Harder than I thought, not the time I was after but grateful to be able to, doing it for those who can’t. Next year we go again 👊🏻”

25/05/2026

Todays call out involved our Brigade’s Lines Level 2 crew being called to assist alongside Onemana Rural Brigade and Hamilton Level 3 lines Rescue Team with a dog rescue at Normans Access Road, Onemana.
Poor old girl had taken a fall down a pretty big cliff and had already spent overnight down there.
Not all calls we attend have a positive outcome, so it was awesome to see this one end with one very relieved owner and one seriously happy dog safely reunited and other than being very thirsty she wasn’t showing any major injuries.
Excellent teamwork, communication, learning, and coordination between all crews involved made for a successful outcome and highlighted the dedication of crews willing to go all out for the wellbeing of man’s best friend.
A great reminder of the value of training, FENZ specialist rescue capability, and the commitment our fire brigade continue to show for our communities ❤️🐾🚒

22/05/2026

For anyone that wants to watch.
Jenny Tawa climbs at 8.15 squad 51 then me Sarah Jarrett Joe Ferguson all at 10.10 squad 16 also with us from Cooks Beach Volunteer Fire Brigade is Mila Smith and Whitianga Volunteer Fire Brigade Corey Everitt Sean King and Karina Andersen.
Do your best team 🫶🩷🚒
QFF SC

Tomorrow firefighters from across Aotearoa are climbing the Sky Tower to raise money for Blood Cancer New Zealand who support Kiwis living with blood cancer. ❤️

51 flights of stairs, 1103 steps, AND wearing 25kg of firefighting gear! 🥵

Ka pai to all the fundraising efforts so far and good luck to everyone climbing, you got this! ✊

If you want to watch live tomorrow the livestream starts at 8.00am, use this link 👀 https://www.youtube.com/live/mGdysSQYNFI

20/05/2026

The dream teams doing it together

19/05/2026

Some nice feedback from Helene Gibbons, these are the little things that motivate and inspire us to get out there and help the community in times of need.

I want to send out a huge THANK YOU to the wonderful Ambulance and Fire Brigade staff who attended my home early hours of Sunday morning to help my partner get to his feet after a nasty fall. I really did appreciate all your help and humor in a very scary situation. You guys were amazing and special thanks to Sharni the lovely lady with the Fire brigade who gave me her number in case I needed further assistance with a medical issue. .We are so lucky to have people like this in out little community. Very Grateful

14/05/2026

Late last night personals from our Tairua Volunteer Fire Brigade’s Level 2 Lines Rescue Team were called to work alongside crews from Whangamata Volunteer Fire Brigade, Onemana Rural , Waikato - Fire and Emergency Level 3 Rope Rescue Team, New Zealand Police and St. John following a tragic incident off the coast of Ōnemana.
Working into the hours of darkness, our crews faced challenging conditions including steep cliff terrain, rough tides and difficult access while carrying out the recovery operation to bring the man home to his whānau.
Incidents like these are never easy for anyone involved, but they are a reminder of the strength, professionalism, and teamwork shown when emergency services come together in support of our communities.
Our thoughts remain with the family and all those affected during this difficult time.

Kia tau te rangimārie ki runga i te whānau pani.
May peace rest upon the grieving family.