Newspaper Article 2018 – Fire chief caps hard year with honour

HONOURED

The New Year Honours were announced today and among the recipients were five Hawke’s Bay people, recognised for their contributions to the community – Ray Brown, Jerry Hapuku, John Purcell, Pauline Hill and Ted Waaka

Fire chief caps hard year with honour

It has been a rollercoaster year for Hawke’s Bay fire chief Ray Brown but being awarded a New Year’s honour marks a bright beginning for 2008.

In July he was cycling along Havelock Road with his wife Shona, and a friend Jo Robson, when they were struck by a drink driver.

Mr Brown, 52, spent 19 days in Hawke’s Bay Hospital with a brain injury and abrasions. He returned to work just before Christmas for two hours a day, three times a week.

While the road to recovery could be frustrating he praised hospital staff for their help and hoped he would be back on deck full-time in three months.

Mr Brown followed his father into the fire service joining the Havelock North volunteer fire brigade in 1970. Seven years later he become a paid firefighter based in Hastings.

He moved to Rotorua in 1983 becoming a station officer, then returned to Hastings when he was promoted to senior station officer. In 1998 he was appointed fire chief of Hastings.

In 2006 he had a 12-month post as the national training centre manager in the new centralised training facility in Rotorua, where he was responsible for leading the facility.

“It was a really rewarding and exciting times establishing something new and making it work,” he said.

He is now the Hawke’s Bay fire chief overseeing 72 paid firefighters and more than 110 volunteers.

Mr Brown was proud of the dedicated staff in the region and said the public needed to appreciate the great work they did. The fire service had a “good heart,” he added.

Mr Brown said he was surprised and humbled to learn he had been awarded the Queen’s Service Medal. He thought carefully before accepting the accolade and still had no idea who nominated him.

Photo caption – AWARD: Ray Brown