Fire Brigade

Acting Chief Fire Officer Bill Butzbach announces the appointment of Richard (Ric) Geisler to the position of Manager, Brigade Support Services with the rank of Senior Station Officer Operational Support.

The new management position is a senior role and has been created to recognise the increasing complexities of managing an active fire & rescue services operation and allows the Chief and other senior officers to concentrate on Community Safety, interagency liason, emergency operations, succession planning, staff professional development and incident management.

In his new role, Ric is responsible for ensuring the members are trained to the levels required by the National Fire Service standards and the equipment is fully operational at all times. The Manager is also responsible for financial matters of the organisation and other administration duties such as station use and organising community services. In addition to the management duties, he is assigned to a fire crew as an operations support person and safety officer when needed.

Ric joined the Brigade in 2010 having had 15 years experience as a volunteer fire fighter in East Montpelier Vermont (USA) where he served as Deputy Chief and training officer. He says fire fighting is a commitment for many members of his family and is proud of his grandfather who started the brigade in his hometown around 1910.

Ric and his wife Daphne, owner of Vintage Treasure in Martinborough, came to Wellington in 1994 and became New Zealand citizens not long after. Ric worked as an actuary at insurance company home offices in Wellington before becoming Chief Actuary for ACC. He served as president of the New Zealand Society of Actuaries for two terms.

He is a member of the Martinborough Lions Club, currently serving as a director. For hobbies, Ric says “you can find me in my workshop trying to create furniture from some of the beautiful recycled native wood we have in New Zealand.”
Ric says he looks forward to the challenge of the new role and helping the Brigade meet its obligations to the community.