31/07/2026
🔥 Fire fighter Friday Meet Hami
🔥 Rank / Role in Brigade:
Qualified Firefighter (QFF)
🚒 How long have you been with the brigade?
6 years
🧑🚒 What made you join the brigade?
Opportunity. The opportunity to be a part of a great team of people. The opportunity to learn a whole lot of new and transferable skills. The opportunity to help people in our community. And the opportunity to play with loads of awesome equipment.
🏭 What do you do for work outside the brigade?
I work for ANZCO Foods Kokiri.
🏠🔥 First callout you remember — what happened?
House fire on Devon Street, November 2020. Second callout – house fire on High Street, also in November 2020. Third callout – house fire on Thomson Street, December 2020. Fourth callout – house fire on Whall Street, also in December 2020. Broadly speaking, it was a real “baptism of fire.”
🤝 What surprised you most about becoming a volunteer firefighter?
The friendships I’ve made, not only with members of my own brigade but also with firefighters from brigades around the country whom I’ve met while attending various FENZ courses.
🎯 What’s one skill you’ve learned from being a volunteer firefighter?
Presence. At any time the pager could go off and I may have to rush out the door, so it’s important I try really hard to be fully engaged when I’m at home with my family. It’s still very much a work in progress.
🪢 Favourite drill or training scenario?
Lines Rescue (Ropes Rescue) – a specialist skill set for our brigade. It involves using ropes and specialised equipment to safely reach, stabilise, and rescue people from places that are difficult or dangerous to access.
⏰ Hardest part of being a volunteer firefighter?
Having to race out the door and leave the kids with their mother during the chaotic evening dinner, bath time, and bedtime routine.
😄🚒 Best part of being a volunteer firefighter?
Getting to race out the door and leave the kids with their mother during the chaotic evening dinner, bath time, and bedtime routine.
👨🚒 Who in the brigade would you always want beside you at a job?
I’d be happy to have any of my fellow members beside me, but if I had to choose, I’d say Kelly or Riley.
⚠️ What’s one thing people don’t realise about volunteering?
Yes, it is extremely rewarding, but it can also be really tiring. We attend roughly 240 callouts a year. Some weeks are quiet, while others are incredibly busy. Most nights you’ll get a full, uninterrupted sleep, but every now and then there’ll be two or three callouts in one night. Add family and work commitments, and it’s really important not to burn yourself out.
😆 Nickname in the brigade (if allowed to share)?
S**g
❤️ Why is volunteering important in our community?
Without volunteers, a lot of things simply wouldn’t happen. For example, there would be no weekend sport without volunteers to referee, coach, manage, and support teams.
🚨 What would you say to someone thinking about joining?
Definitely come down to a few of our training nights and see what we’re all about. We’re a great bunch of people, very welcoming, and always looking for new members. There’s always room for the right people.
🏅 What’s something you’re proud of about our brigade?
I’m proud to be part of a team that includes some of the most caring, selfless, and honest people I’ve ever met—people who are genuinely passionate about helping members of our community.
🔥 One word that describes our brigade:
Reliable. No matter what your emergency, you can rely on members of the Greymouth Volunteer Fire Brigade to turn up and help.
