It’s 2 a.m. The pager goes off. You’re out the door before your mind catches up.
You leave behind a warm bed, a family, a job, a life.
You step into uncertainty, into danger, into someone else’s worst day.
Being a volunteer firefighter means showing up, often for strangers, for your community.
It’s holding a hand in the wreckage of a horrific crash, listening to silence after the sirens fade, and carrying the weight of what you’ve seen long after the smoke clears.
There’s no paycheck. No spotlight.
In New Zealand, volunteer firefighters are now being asked to do more than many ever signed up for - responding to medical incidents, including the unimaginable loss of children.
These moments leave a mark that can’t be seen but is felt deeply. There are no wounds to see, no visible scars, only scars that are hidden deep inside.
Yet, those scars take a toll. On the firefighter. On their colleagues. And eventually on their family.
That’s why we offer free workshops to volunteer brigades wherever I travel, helping them cope with what they’re now required to see and do.
The bravery must continue after the emergency, having the strength to talk about what happens afterwards.
To every volunteer who puts on the gear and answers the call, thank you.
You remind us of what courage looks like.
Let’s talk!
Thank You To Volunteer Firefighters.