This week's Newsmaker is Pukehina fire chief Errol Watts, who was in the news after a major scrub fire in Pukehina blackened an area about the size of three rugby fields and threatened homes.
1. Describe yourself in three words.
"Positive, determined and easy-going."
2. What is you earliest memory of firefighters?
"I don't actually have an early memory as such of firefighters but it would probably be when I joined the fire brigade as a 16-year-old."
"That would probably have to be when we got called to a car fire. It was a Leyland P76 at about 3 o'clock. It was parked on the side of a rural road and it was fully on fire. We parked about 20m in front of it and ran a hose back to it. Just as we started to put it out it started to roll forward toward our appliance at about a walking speed. We had to quickly run back to our truck and move it just in time before it would have hit. It continued down the road and crashed on the side of the road. It wasn't what we were expecting, that's for sure."
5. Pukehina is a small community. How does this, and your role, impact your personal life?
"Being a smaller community, you feel a little bit responsible, and definitely responsible for a good outcome at most of the calls. You know most of the people. It's important to get it right. That's the thing. You tend to know most of the people and over the years there have been times where it hasn't been pleasant."
6. Aside from being fire chief, what else are you known for in Pukehina?
"I did the Coast to Coast last year and I think people are used to seeing my 4x4 parked up at the end of the beach with a kayak, or seeing me running or cycling around.
I still do exercise at odd hours of the day."
7. Do you have any party tricks (or unusual talents)?
"No, no real unusual talents. I'm probably the last person to go to bed and the first one up. I don't need much sleep. Six hours is a lot for me."
8. At 7pm on any given weeknight, what will we catch you watching on TV?
"I don't really watch much television but at that time of night probably Shortland Street or something like that, or probably some sport."