Ex-firefighter finds new way to give back
Disability is proving to be no barrier for a south Otago man who is determined to give back to his community.
Papatowai rural volunteer fire force member Pip Martin was paralysed after a quad bike accident two and half years ago and is confined to a wheelchair.
However, the former Tahakopa farm manager is continuing to play an increasingly important role for Fire and Emergency New Zealand as the Papatowai brigade’s welfare officer.
‘‘It’s really important to support members, because the chances are in a rural area they are going to end up dealing with an accident involving one of their own or someone they know.’’
Earlier this year, Martin was awarded a gold star for 25 years’ service with the brigade.
His mates wanted him to stay involved, despite his disability.
‘‘It became very obvious to me that I couldn’t do point duty. I’d just be a liability, and we’re very big on health and safety. I didn’t want to be in a compromised position or to compromise the brigade, so that’s when the idea of a welfare officer came in.’’
During the years he has attended many incidents, some of which still haunt him, including suicides and road crashes.
‘‘Extracting people is the easy part. The emotional stuff, that’s the hard part.
‘‘You never know how you are going to be afterwards. It might not be this week or next week, or until after the funeral when the guys are going to feel it.’’
It has become his job to get them through and he is continuing his training to become more skilled in this support role. It is also a way of giving back to the community, which has been supportive of him in his time of need.
‘‘I can thank them, but I can never pay them back, but I can return something to the community.’’
His role builds on Fire and Emergency’s philosophy that every member should get home safely, and in Martin’s book that means mentally as well as physically. ‘‘I’d like to think that in some small way, I can make a difference.’’
He said he feels humbled that people want to hear him speak about living as a paraplegic.
‘‘I don’t necessarily recommend it, but it’s not the end of the world.’’
He is undergoing rehabilitation to get as much mobility as possible to live as active a life as possible.