King’s Birthday Honours 2024: Brian Carter awarded KSM for services to firefighting

Brian Carter, of Bulls, has been honoured for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand. Photo / Bevan Conley

Rangitīkei’s Brian Carter has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Carter has been awarded a King’s Service Medal (KSM) as the first member of the Bulls Volunteer Fire Brigade to serve for 50 years.

He has been the brigade’s chief fire officer since 2006 and was deputy chief from 1991 until he was promoted. He first joined in 1970 and briefly, later in the decade, he served with the Marton Volunteer Fire Brigade before returning to Bulls in 1980.

During his long service, Carter has led the brigade through regular call-outs and several regional disasters.

Carter served as a parent representative on the Clifton School Board of Trustees for three terms between 1991 and 2000.

All the while, Carter has maintained his “day” job as a self-employed craftsman upholster based in Bulls.

He is serving his second term as one of two Rangitīkei District Council Southern Ward representatives after being re-elected unopposed in 2022.

Born in Bulls, and having married and raised three children in the town, Carter assured voters of his commitment to representing the area at the council table.

Carter has also served the local community as a Justice of the Peace since 2016.

The Chronicle was unable to contact him for his reaction to receiving the honour.

Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.