‘He is my hero, I want to be like him’
Paige Thornley has wanted to follow in her firefighter father’s footsteps since the age of 17.
She has not only fulfilled that dream, starting her first firefighting job in April, but she has also joined the man who inspired her career path in the Timaru Brigade.
‘‘It was about becoming a pillar in the community, I have a big desire to help people but the main reason was my dad,’’ Paige said about wanting to join Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz).
‘‘He is my hero and I want to be just like him. He’s so admirable and selfless and I aspire to be like him in all those ways.’’
However, it was her father, Alistair Thornley, who persuaded her not to enter the service straight away, instead encouraging his daughter to get some other life experiences first.
But after working at Silver Fern Farms for about four years the dream never went away.
‘‘For about a year I was getting up at 3am in the mornings going to work about 5.30/6am then going to the gym after work as well,’’ Paige said.
‘‘The physical requirements [to be a firefighter] are pretty insane. Once I got in I realised why the test to get in is so hard because the job is so physical.’’
She said her father was also a huge help, letting her visit the station to practice specific parts of the test, and introducing her to Timaru’s other female firefighters.
Sadly, the move to Covid-19 alert level three meant her three month’s training in Rotorua was cut short by a week and her graduation was cancelled.
Having already passed all the required exams, she was able to take up a position in Timaru last month, alongside her father.
While the father and daughter haven’t been on the same shifts yet, Paige said it will be ‘‘very cool’’ when they do get to work together.
‘‘I would definitely love that, if I could have chosen that I would. I think he would be able to teach me so much.’’
Alistair said the Timaru Brigade had had members who were brothers before, and a father and son team, but never a father and daughter.
‘‘In the volunteer brigade it’s probably a bit more common in smaller brigades, and in communities it’s sort of a lifestyle families get into, but it’s fairly rare in the professional ranks,’’ he said.
‘‘As they are taking on more women, I suppose it will happen a fair bit.’’
He said he is also looking forward to moving onto the same shifts as Paige.
‘‘If she’s on my shift it will be good because I can teach her a fair bit of my knowledge.
‘‘In 34 years you gain a bit of experience and I’ve been pretty passionate about the job during those years and have done a fair bit of training in my time.
‘‘I do quite a bit of teaching her just at home, if she’s got to give a bit of a lecture at work she can come and check with me in case she’s forgotten things or things she doesn’t even now yet – it’s quite handy.’’