Watchdog Security Supervisor of the Year saves choking baby in Rotorua mall

She's saved a choking baby, fought cancer and prevents crime on a daily basis. Now Watchdog Security's Reremoana Keremete has been acknowledged as being the Supervisor of the Year at the New Zealand Security Association Awards. The woman with a "grandmotherly mana" talks to journalist Kelly Makiha about her job, including the day just two weeks ago when she saved the life a blue, limp and not breathing baby who was choking in Rotorua Central.

Security worker Reremoana Keremete took a choking baby that was blue, limp and not breathing and within seconds dislodged a piece of food and saved her life.

"It was gratifying to see those little eyes open and a bit of a cry because that meant she was breathing ... I certainly had a tear in my eye."

Keremete said she was just doing her job. And now she's officially been recognised as being the best in New Zealand at that job.

The Watchdog Security staff member has just been awarded the Supervisor of the Year Award at the New Zealand Security Association's annual awards in Auckland, the first woman to receive the honour.

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Reremoana Keremete has just been named Supervisor of the Year at the New Zealand Security Association Awards. Photo / Stephen Parker

Keremete's role is the supervisor overseeing the Rotorua Central operation. It includes dealing with shoplifters, people who have been trespassed, beggars, lost children and providing support to retailers.

On the day the baby was choking, she was called to the food court by a colleague.

Keremete' took over from food court worker Jasmine Kong, who she said did an amazing initial job.

Keremete was trained in what to do, having a profoundly deaf daughter who has mild cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

She said the baby was aged about five months old and it was unknown what she choked on.

She said she didn't get the name of the baby or her aunty, who she was with at the time.

"It all happened so quick ... I did the Heimlich manoeuvre and whacked her on the back a few times. She must have been deprived of oxygen as she had a small seizure, which is to be expected, but I put her in the recovery position, and she came to.

"Once the ambulance arrived and took over, my job was done ... It was a lucky day for me. It was good to see her beautiful smiley face."

While saving the baby's life was mentioned when she received the award on August 23, it wasn't taken into account during the judging as it happened after the awards closed.

The judge's citation said Keremete's career at Watchdog was interrupted just over a year ago after she was diagnosed with cancer, but she approached her fight against the disease with her "usual degree of positivity coupled with never give up attitude".

She took just five months off work to have two rounds of chemotherapy and surgery on stage three stomach cancer and is now in remission.

Watchdog Security's Reremoana Keremete has saved a baby's life, fights and prevents crime and has fought cancer. She's officially the best. Photo / Stephen Parker

The citation said her approach was coupled with a "steely toughness" that let people know she was not someone to be crossed or disrespected.

She was described as "the epitome of a security professional at work, the caring mother figure outside of work and an outstanding example of leadership, especially to Māori women in our community".

She was given a standing ovation when she got the award.

Her boss, Watchdog chief executive officer Brett Wilson, said Keremete had a "grandmotherly mana". She was polite and respectful to customers but also let them know she didn't take any nonsense.

"An example of her work is there used to be a group of about 15 Black Power guys having regular hikōis through the mall trying to mark it as their territory. She fronted up to the leader of the gang, eyeballed him and said 'you're not going to do this in my house'.

"That's an example of the ownership she has."

He said, as a result, the gang members told her "okay whaia", showing the respect they had for her.

"If I had gone and confronted them, I would have got a punch in the head," Wilson said.

Pukeroa Oruawhata, which owns Rotorua Central, general manager Peter Faulkner described Keremete as a "very capable leader".

"We are really comfortable that she is doing the job and it's fantastic she's won this award because it's great recognition for her."

Meanwhile, Keremete said she loved her job and had a special respect for her bosses Brett and Suzy Wilson and operations manager Rangi Te Hurihanganui.

The mother of five children and grandmother to several spent most of her life bouncing in bars in Wellington before moving to Rotorua eight years ago and starting her security career.

She's worked for Watchdog for about four years and said she knew a lot of the troublemakers around the city.

"I know a lot, I can tell you. And it's no secret they hate me. But if they hate me obviously, I'm doing my job."