Honouring our firefighters on International Firefighters’ Day | Whakanuia Ngā Kaipatuahi
4 May 2023
Today is International Firefighters’ Day, Whakanuia Ngā Kaipatuahi, a day when people around the world recognise and honour the mahi of all firefighters and the service they have given and continue to give to their communities.
Fire and Emergency Chief Executive Kerry Gregory says International Firefighters’ Day | Whakanuia Ngā Kaipatuahi is also a day to remember firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
“This year, we take a moment to remember the loss of our two fallen firefighters who were on duty helping others in Muriwai, Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens, as well as past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all.”
Kerry Gregory says firefighters do an extraordinary, brave job and are committed to serving and protecting their communities.
"As we saw when Cyclone Gabrielle devastated large parts of the North Island earlier this year, as well as fire, our firefighters respond to a range of different situations like severe weather natural disasters, medical calls, motor vehicle crashes, hazardous substances incidents, or technical rescues.
“They also help to reduce the number and impact of fires through community outreach, education and fire safety messaging. They help communities to recover and get back on their feet after major incidents.
“There are around 1,800 career firefighters and nearly 12,000 volunteers in Aotearoa across more than 650 fire stations where many provide a response into isolated communities where there is no one else responding for some time.
"I’d like to acknowledge and thank all those who support our firefighters, employers who release them to respond, and families who support them. This support enables our firefighters to be there to help our communities when they need them."
Tonight, the Sky Tower in Auckland will be lit up in red and blue to honour and acknowledge the service of all past and present firefighters – in New Zealand and across the world. The colours are symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with – red for fire and blue for water. These colours are also internationally recognised as representing emergency services.