Honour for Te Puke station officer
Ivon Pilcher didn’t expect to become a 25-year veteran
Ivon Pilcher was already well known to the Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade long before he joined. Ivon was Te Puke’s police sergeant in charge until 1997 when he left the police force. On Saturday he received his Gold Star for 25 years’ service in the brigade.
“The chief at the time said, ‘come on, you need to join’.”
Ivon didn’t then, and still doesn’t, see a huge difference between the two roles.
“They are pretty much the same thing. For me it’s helping the community and being there for this community — and I enjoy it.
“I’ve been here since 1991 so I’ve got to know the community.”
Ivon says he was raw when he joined the brigade.
“None of my family has been in the fire service, so it was just go for it and do it.”
Advancing up the ranks was a goal, but there has also been a natural progression to station officer.
“I’d come out of management in the police, so going into management in the fire service is no different — it’s still a semi-disciplined organisation and it was just about getting to know what was required of me to do that role.”
Qualifying as a firefighter took four weekends — two as a recruit and then two learning to wear and work in breathing apparatus (BA). Nowadays it is a week-long training course.
“I didn’t really take to BA. When you go into tight situations, you have to control the fear. Everybody has fears whether it be fire, or enclosed spaces or if it’s totally blacked out — everybody has fears that you overcome — mine was, if anything, tight spaces ‘cos I’m a big fella.”
In his early days in the brigade, motor vehicle accidents were relatively rare.
“More often than not it was fires and that type of thing, but it’s evolved into taking a lot more of the medical side of things. The training has evolved as well, to help us through that. And the support behind that is there too. Mental wellbeing is becoming a very big thing.”
After a quarter of a century in the brigade, Ivon says he is still committed.
“But you’ve got to have the support of your fellows and your family because you do interrupt family occasions. When that siren goes off on Christmas Day and it’s something you have to attend, you have to attend, and family becomes a little bit second. Not everyone can take that and not every family can take that.”
He says as a general rule, most people last between seven and 14 years as a volunteer firefighter.
“I never expected to be a 25-year veteran, but I’m lucky our business allows me to be there and I’ve got the support of my wife.”
The brigade has four watches, so on average firefighters are on call one weekend in four.
“But fortunately — or unfortunately — I live right beside the station so I go anyway, whether I’m on call or not.”
The increased involvement in medical emergencies has brought a new dynamic to the role.
“We’ve had a couple over the last six months that we’ve brought back to life. They may not go on to live healthy lives — although I know one has — and boy that’s a big thing.”
One of the hardest situations comes when, despite getting to a fire call as quickly as possible, there is little that can be done to save a building or somebody’s possessions.
“There are house fires where you lose everything — those would be the hardest ones — where you arrive as quick as you can but you still find there’s nothing you can do — it’s already done its damage. But sometimes you do have a good save in a fire, and it’s gratifying.”
Ivon is involved in helping train the young firefighters and says it is satisfying to see them progress.
He has no intention of hanging up his firefighting gear any time soon.
“I’ll carry on for a while yet. While I enjoy it and while I love it, I will carry on. I don’t know where that’s going to lead, we’ll see, but I’m young enough that I can carry on doing it.”
Ivon was also presented with the brigade’s Life Honorary Medal.
When that siren goes off on Christmas Day and it’s something you have to attend, you have to attend, and family becomes a little bit second. Not everyone can take that and not every family can take that. Ivon Pilcher