Meet your fire fighters

Patience is one of Andy Stuart’s many virtues. After moving from the farm to town a few years ago, he would hear the fire siren and often wondered how he could help. It is in his nature. So he put his name on the waiting list for membership in the brigade and waited three years for the call.

Joining in 2010, he completed recruit training and has been a very active member in all aspects of service to the community and the brigade. He is currently on the team responsible for assuring all the fire fighting equipment on the trucks is fully operational for any emergency.

Born in the Wairarapa and raised on a dairy farm near Martinborough, Andy’s first job outside home was at the cheese factory in Greytown then for many years on beef and sheep farms. He now works for Graham Peek doing fencing for vineyards and farms throughout the area.

He and wife Gloria have two adult children, Colton and Renee and three grandkids Anton, Ruben and Mia. Colton works with his father in the fencing business.

As a former hooker for Martinborough under 21s and Senior Thirds he is a keen collector of anything to do with rugby especially autobiographies and other books on the game.

Since becoming a fully qualified fire fighter, Andy is often on the crew responding to all the varied emergencies. He is well aware of the amount of work required especially on vegetation fires, recalling the 4 hour effort at a recent one. He and the crew had to carry the portable pump down a steep bank (safety ropes were required) to the water supply, roll out hose back up to the truck and after providing water, get on to the task of dowsing the fire and overhaul.

He says “A thankful owner and a good nights sleep is all the reward needed”. On a recent emergency call out, his farming background came in handy as he was the tail twister getting a bull to climb the steps out of an empty swimming pool.

His advice potential fire fighters: “be sure you want to do it”. Be prepared to do not only the hard work of training but also learning the technical aspects of fire fighting.

On the other hand it is really good experience for anyone and encourages the younger members of the community to give it a go. Andy believes it should be an extension of a personal commitment to be of service and to expect nothing for the effort. Just do it.