Fireman extinguishes his 50 year career
‘‘It has been a fantastic job and I have absolutely no regrets.’’ Pat Fitzell
After more than 50 years with the fire service Pat Fitzell says he won’t miss being tied to his pager when he retires.
The 66-year-old stands down as the Taranaki area commander for Fire and Emergency New Zealand on April 30, after first signing up with the Matamata brigade as a volunteer in 1966, aged 14.
Fitzell took on the top job in the region 14 years ago.
‘‘Being on call every second week is a bit of a bind,’’ he admitted.
‘‘The pager has never been turned off, so whether you are on call or not the pager is there.
‘‘My wife even sleeps through it now. I certainly won’t miss that.’’
The veteran said the service was like a big family and it would be the people he missed the most.
‘‘They are fantastic people for what they do in their community.
‘‘I just love them to bits, they’ve become really good friends over the years.’’
Firefighters regularly feature in annual surveys of most trusted professions and Fitzell believes that’s due to their camaraderie.
‘‘I guess that they all have the same desire and passion to support their community in whatever way they can.’’
A keen rugby and sports fan, Fitzell doesn’t know what retirement holds for him but said he and his wife, Sharron, were looking to relocate to Brisbane, where his daughter and son-in-law are based while serving in the Australian Army.
Fitzell said he has loved his time in the service, despite almost losing an eye when a hose smacked him in the face a year after he joined.
Highlights have included serving on a task force after the Edgecombe earthquake in 1987 and, more recently, in Christchurch, as well as leading the service through some significant changes.
‘‘It has been a fantastic job and I have absolutely no regrets.
‘‘There has been lots of challenges on the way, I’ve been to lots of exciting places and done lots of exciting things.’’
An arson attack at Hamilton’s Empire Hotel in 1995, which claimed the lives of six residents, was one of the most dramatic jobs Fitzell said he had attended.
Fitzell said the top floor of the three storey building was well alight when firefighters arrived and people were lined up on balconies and windows waiting to be rescued.
‘‘We rescued a lot of people out of that building but unfortunately six people lost their lives.’’
However he choose to focus on what what worked well.
‘‘You always look at the positives.
‘‘We did what we could to the best of our ability and we got people out of that building.’’
The service has undergone significant changes in recent years and while there’s more to come, Fitzell said he’s leaving things in good hands.
‘‘I think it’s time that some younger person led the charge into the new regime.’’
Taranaki has always been ranked highly within the 24 areas around the country and Fitzell credited the team he had around him. ‘‘It’s not about me, it’s about the team and it has always been a team.
‘‘We have got good people out there and we have got good people supporting them.’’