Reefton Volunteer Fire Brigade celebrates 150 years

15 October 2024

Reefton Volunteer Fire Brigade will celebrate one-and-a-half centuries of serving its community with a special event at Labour Weekend.

Chief Fire Officer Emmet Fortune says, "While we, like many other brigades, have faced our fair share of change and challenges over the years, this is a chance to bring our community together in our special town and celebrate the last 150 years and all those who have made it possible - our volunteers, their families and their employers."

Reefton is one of the older volunteer fire brigades at the heart of New Zealand communities for more than 150 years. Nowadays, around 12,000 people volunteer in nearly 600 fire brigades across New Zealand. They make up around 80 percent of Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s workforce across the motu.

They are ordinary New Zealanders from all walks of life who are totally committed to serving their communities and who frequently go above and beyond to keep their communities safe and supported.

Over the last 150 years the role of firefighting and emergency management has changed, but the critical importance of volunteers to fire and emergency management, to community resilience and to Fire and Emergency has not. The organisation couldn‘t operate without them.

Chief Fire Officer Emmet Fortune says, as well as firefighting, Reefton volunteers respond to medical emergencies, car crashes, severe weather events, and other requests for help.

"150 years ago, we had a much more stable brigade membership with people staying for a long time, but now the community is more transient with a less stable workforce, so the brigade has had to adapt. We always welcome new members," he says.

"Anyone can be a volunteer. We welcome people who have administrative talents to help keep the brigade running smoothly, or who can help with traffic management during an incident, or providing lighting and refreshments.

"We invite people to come along and see for themselves."

"We’re all a family here on the West Coast, and that’s what has made Reefton Volunteer Fire Brigade so special over the last 150 years. We have great camaraderie within the brigade and across other West Coast brigades, we’re very family focused with generations of members, and we have a real strong sense of community and belonging, to both the brigade and our community," Emmett says.

WHAT: 150 years of Reefton Volunteer Fire Brigade

WHEN: Saturday 26 October 2024

WHERE: Reefton Fire Station, Church Street, Reefton 7830

ENTRY: FREE

Find out more at the Reefton Volunteer Fire Brigade - 150 Year Celebration Facebook page.

Background on the Brigade

The brigade was set up in 1874, as the town filled up with people looking for gold. From 1872 to 1951, the Reefton area produced 64,700kg of gold.

More and more wooden houses, shops and hotels were built keeping the brigade busy responding to many structure fires.

The brigade responded to many major fires in the early 1900s, with many of them often taking out whole blocks of shops on Broadway.

Now the brigade receives about 100 call outs a year, most of them motor vehicle crashes and medical emergencies.

Tragedy is woven into the fabric of the brigade, with two local firefighters losing their lives in the New Imperial (Boatmans No. 4) coal mine in 1985, and another firefighter losing his life six years later in another mining disaster.

The brigade has had over 450 members since it was formed in 1874. The first female volunteer joined the brigade in 1990 and seven current members are wāhine.

The open day will include:

• A parade through Reefton
• A local market
• Firefighter challenges
• Fire safety
• Food and drink stalls

There will also be a Firefighters Ball for past and present members, with some tickets available to the community.