KIWI HEROES
‘We couldn‘t live any other way’
Every day, thousands of men and women put their lives on the line to protect their communities. Whether they’re in the air assisting their teams to catch city perpetrators, in the countryside fighting wildfires, or in an ambulance call centre coaching someone through CPR, they all play their part in keeping us safe and healthy. Here, the Weekly talks with three women who have dedicated their careers and lives to helping others.
ALICE RENOUF – NZ POLICE
As a member of the New Zealand Police’s Air Support Unit, Constable Alice Renouf spends her days flying in a helicopter high above Auckland, collaborating with police teams on the ground to catch offenders and searching for missing people from the sky.
“We could go from locating a three-year-old missing child to attending a fleeing driver incident, a firearms job or a burglary, then be off to gather intelligence on active gang members – so there’s a whole range of jobs.”
Growing up with a father in the police force, Alice knew she wanted to follow in his footsteps from a young age, but was torn between her love of aviation and serving her community. A career with the police eventually won out and an unexpected opportunity within the force has meant that her dream job has become even more special.
“I never really considered Eagle, the Air Support Unit, as an option, but then an opportunity to go for a ride in Eagle and have a trial became available,” she says. “Luckily enough for me, everything just kind of clicked. I loved the aviation side of it and knew that this was what I wanted to do.”
Part of working in the police is knowing that not all call-outs will end positively.
The 27-year-old says that understanding can weigh heavily when she has to make the final call to end a missingperson search or accept that she may never know how a person she found is recovering. But the unit’s small teams of three make sure they support each other.
“Staying around at the end of a shift, having a bit of a chat about it with the people who experienced the same thing you did, is really important, rather than just holding it all in.”
Her number-one piece of advice is: “You’re not always going to forget about stuff, but you need to try not to hold on to it too closely.”
Although the bad times are hard, Alice is often reminded how special it is to have a job that makes a difference.
“The best part is when we’re able to leave our shift at the end of the day knowing that we’ve genuinely helped somebody.”
CARRIE LAKIN – FENZ
Firefighter Carrie Lakin has always been committed to protecting the countryside she grew up in.
She was first introduced to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) through her work as a Department of Conservation ranger, a role in which she regularly worked alongside Fire and Emergency in dealing with wildfires. She eventually made the leap to firefighting full-time 17 years ago.
Now a deputy principal rural fire officer, Carrie says she fell into a leadership role after putting her hand up when it was needed. It has given the 42-year-old countless opportunities to help not only her local community but also internationally.
“I was fortunate enough to be given opportunities to fight wildfires in Australia and Canada,” she says. “When you go overseas, it’s like receiving two years of frontline firefighting in New Zealand in just three weeks.”
Carrie has lots of different responsibilities and compares herself to a Swiss army knife.
Her favourite part of her position is working with volunteer firefighters and seeing their progress.
“The best part for me is working with volunteers, watching them develop and step up into new roles, and seeing them do a really good job,” she tells.
Most of the brigades Carrie’s responsible for attended the large fires at Lake O¯ hau and Lake Pukaki in the Mackenzie Basin last year, alongside career fire crews and other urban-based volunteer brigades, and she was heartened to see the work of her well-oiled crews.
“My job is to make sure all of the volunteers in the 23 fire brigades I work with are trained and qualified, so they can safely roll out the door when there’s a fire or other incident,” she explains.
The one thing Carrie would love to see more of in Fire and Emergency is women.
“Women think and act differently to men, and that’s good because the different perspectives provide a high-functioning team,” she shares. “I believe women don’t naturally think that being a firefighter is something they can do – but if
I can do it, anyone can.”
NORRIE MEAULI – ST JOHN
When Norrie Meauli was 14 years old, her grandfather died suddenly. It was devastating, but it was also the day she found her calling.
As the St John paramedics arrived on the scene, Norrie was struck by the air of calm and empathy they brought to her family. “I will always remember the calmness they had in their voices, the words they used to comfort my mum and aunty, and the sympathy they showed us when they arrived.”
From that day, Norrie, 32, knew she wanted to be part of St John and offer the support she’d experienced to others, but with her lack of medical qualifications, she was worried she wasn’t good enough to apply. It was some sage advice from a loved one that finally convinced her to take a chance.
“Someone close to my heart always said, ‘There’s nothing anyone can do that you can’t.’ So, using that as motivation, I chose to join St John.”
Norrie has now worked in the Auckland St John Ambulance Communications Centre for six years and has made her way up the ranks to become a callhandling team leader. With years of professional training and confidence under her belt, she recalls how nervous she was before taking her first call.
“I remember my hand shaking – it was really nerveracking. And my very first call was a difficult one because the caller was really distressed.”
Finding themselves in stressful situations, callers often lash out at emergency-call handlers. “We get a lot of abuse,” tells Norrie. “You wouldn’t believe the awful things people say to us.”
But then there are the
111 calls that make it all worthwhile. Norrie’s most memorable is the first time she helped a couple deliver a baby. On the phone with the father, she could hear the panic in his voice and the mother struggling in the background, but she guided them through and knew she’d done her job when she heard the magical sound of a wailing newborn child.
“I never knew that hearing a baby’s cry would be music to my ears!”