Ōtāne Volunteer Fire Brigade welcomes new chief fire officer Rob Grayson

New Ōtāne chief fire officer Rob Grayson (right) being congratulated by Fire and Emergency New Zealand assistant district commander Jason Hill. Photo / Ōtāne Volunteer Fire Brigade

For Rob Grayson, being named chief fire officer of the Ōtāne Volunteer Fire Brigade is another step in his mission to keep the small Central Hawke’s Bay community safe.

Grayson has been deputy fire chief for the last four years and received his white helmet at the end of March from former chief fire officer John Oliver, who held the role for 32 years.

“I enjoy the fire brigade, and enjoy helping the community more than anything, it’s doing my bit,” Grayson said.

Grayson is now responsible for the day-to-day running of the brigade.

He said he had been a firefighter for 17 years, with his first callout beingto a car fire on State Highway 2.

“It was pretty good to get amongst it that day, it makes you feel a part of the crew.”

He was also involved with fighting the Waipukurau Hospital Fire on Pōrangahau Rd in 2010.

Grayson said the most common callouts were to crashes and grass fires.

He said the brigade had 17 volunteers, including operational support personnel who helped with traffic control and first aid.

“We have got a really good brigade in Ōtāne now ... we get the job done, and we are all there for the community.”

Part of Grayson’s plans for the new role included encouraging more people to join the service, with what he described as “a good bunch of people”.

“We are doing a big recruitment drive at the moment and throughout the winter.”

This would include pamphlet drops to local mailboxes and an open day at the fire station.

He said another way they connected with the community was through social media posts to let people know what they had been called out to.

“People like to know what we have been to when they do see the truck go out.”

The last three callouts involved a medical response, a vegetation fire and an alarm activation.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand assistant district commander Jason Hill said Grayson was selected through a process that was similar to applying for a job, despite it still being a volunteer role.

“Rob is a genuine, passionate leader who really wants the best for the brigade and the community.

“He is well-trained, he has done all the necessary courses to be able to lead the brigade operationally, but he is also not afraid to either ask for help or challenge when required.

“He is a man of few words, but he just gets on and does.”

Hill said Grayson had big shoes to fill following Oliver’s choice to step down and take on a role as senior station officer.

“I think it’s really important that those leaders who have got that tacit knowledge let the young ones come through, [and] stay there in the background to be able to be a sounding board.

“He talked about retiring, but I said, ‘Not quite yet, John, if you don’t mind’.”

Hill said it was vital that people took on leadership roles within volunteer organisations, and he encouraged others to volunteer.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.