Kawakawa fire chief sets service milestone

Emma Mathews of Pokapu places the family korowai on Wayne Martin's shoulders to mark his 25 years of service with the Kawakawa Fire Brigade. Photo / Peter de Graaf

"A mountain of a man who moves mountains" is the first Kawakawa firefighter to receive a Gold Star medal for 25 years' service in the Bay of Islands town.

Fire chief Wayne Martin was honoured for his quarter century of volunteering with a function at Kawakawa Fire Station on Saturday evening. More than 160 people attended included fellow firefighters, kaumatua and kuia, Fire Service and police bigwigs, whanau and friends.

Deputy chief Alistair Leitch said Mr Martin's gold star was the 14th awarded to a member of the Kawakawa brigade, but he was the first to complete all 25 years' service in the town.

He had led the brigade for the past 10 years and also held a paid position with the Fire Service as its iwi liaison officer covering the area from Mercer north.

Firefighter Eli Smith said the brigade's rangatira had put in "25 years of solid, solid work".

"He's the size of a mountain and he moves mountains," he said.

Kaitaia fire chief Colin Kitchen, past president of the United Fire Brigades Association, said Mr Martin's mana was second to none, and his attendance record - 98.9 per cent of callouts in the past 25 years - spoke for itself.

Nor was his community service limited to the Fire Service. The keen rugby player had also given up his time for the United Kawakawa Rugby Club, Bay of Islands Rugby Club and Northland Rugby Union.

As former Portland fire chief Mark Gummer put it: "What stands out for me is the size of your bloody heart."

Mr Martin joined the brigade in 1992 but it was clear from anecdotes shared on the night that he'd been hanging around the fire station since he was a boy of 10.

Other speakers referred to his late father, Nuki Martin, and how proud he would have been; and the sacrifices made over the years by Mr Martin's partner, Millie Mathews, and family each time he was called away to an emergency.

Kaye Ah Sam, Northland Fire Brigades Sub-association vice-president, hoped they got some comfort from the lives he had saved and the hundreds of lives he had made better.

Following Kawakawa Fire Brigade tradition the two newest recruits, Slade Willougby of Kawakawa and Rochelle Williams of Moerewa, were the MCs for the event.