Raetihi woman Liz Brooker was snowboarding in Japan last week when she learned that she was to receive a Civil Defence Emergency Management silver award.
"That's what happens when you book a holiday eight months in advance - you never know what might happen in the meantime," she told the Chronicle.
"My dad and my brother had to go to the ceremony at Parliament last Tuesday to collect the medal for me."
Ms Brooker was given the citation by Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye for her work in setting up and maintaining a social media network that became a lifeline for the Raetihi community when a diesel spill contaminated the town water supply in October 2013.
Dr Cathy Strong, of Massey University Wellington, who nominated Liz for the award, said her work made a huge contribution to getting the community through the crisis.