A Raetihi couple is smiling after nearly 30 years of volunteer fire service between them.
In June next year, Peter Pehi (Uenuku, Ngāpuhi) will complete 13 years of service, while wife Heni Butler (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Waikato-Tainui) will tally up an impressive 17 years in August.
After 10 years in Australia, they returned home to Aotearoa in 2018, found themselves with time on their hands and started off on their volunteer journey.
“Heni joined first. She joined the Maketu fire brigade, the Maketu Coast Guard [in Bay of Plenty]. Anything that was volunteer, she jumped in on it,” Pehi told Te Ao Māori News.
The rural controller with the Waimarino Volunteer Rural Fire Force says he wasn’t quite as quick to volunteer, waiting four or five years instead.
Pehi had worked patrolling highways in Australia for a company building motorways, witnessing numerous road accidents, he says.
“I’d seen a lot of incidents on the highways so I held off for a little while. But, eventually, if you can’t beat them, join them.
“She was jumping out of bed in the middle of the night a lot over in Maketu because they had a high callout rate. So I thought, ‘bugger it, I might as well join ya.’”
On Saturday, the couple was among nine volunteers from the Waimarino and Whakapapa fire brigades recognised for their dedicated service to the community at an honours night in Ohakune attended by about 60 locals.
Butler, a senior fire fighter with the Waimarino fire brigade, says her personal highlight was whānau.
“It was having my whānau there actually; my children, aunt and mother-in-law to see me receive 2 x silver bars and the Long Service Good Conduct Medal, and my husband Pete receive 2 x silver bars,” she says.
“It was the first honours night celebration my children and aunt attended in my 16 years plus of service.
“It was so nice to hear their joy for me and Pete. They got to observe and be part of the comradery of our FENZ [Fire and Emergency New Zealand] whānau and acknowledge our achievements.”
Pehi says it was a wonderful occasion.
“We had a really awesome turnout from our local Ruapehu district. Pretty much everyone that could come did come from the other brigades.
“All the families were invited, firemen with their partners. And we invited others like the police and ambulance. It was a really good turnout of the community.”
They even had a special guest, he says, the fire chief from Butler’s first volunteer fire brigade in Maketu and his wife.
“It was a bit of a celebration of her early days in the fire brigade.”
Officially, the couple’s awards were:
“Heni Butler: Waimarino and Whakapapa 2-year silver bar for 13 years, and 2-year silver bar for 15 years. Long Service Good Conduct Medal nominated for 14 years’ service. In August 2025 Heni will complete 17 years of service.
“Pete Pehi: Waimarino 2-year silver bar for 9 years, and a 2-year silver bar for 11 years. In June 2025, Pete will complete 13 years of service.”
Butler says there have been many highlights in her almost 17 years of volunteer fire service.
She mentions “being able to help others” at the top of her list. But also acknowledges how she’s grown through the experience.
“I had to learn many new skills and new knowledge, but it has helped me to grow as a person, and as a wahine Māori in terms of confidence and capability.”
Pehi says his nearly 13 years have flown by.
“It’s gone real fast. So much so that you think geez we better do some succession planning.
“I’m encouraging some of our firefighters, particularly Māori firefighters, to step up, which they are. Over the next couple of years, hopefully they’ll be able to come right up into the officer roles.
“We’re encouraging wāhine Māori and Māori in general, but particularly the Māori women.”
The couple are adamant Māori will thrive as volunteer fire fighters and should strongly consider it as an option.
Butler says there are many things Māori will enjoy about it.
For example, “The transferable skills and knowledge you learn when you become a fire fighter,” she says.
“I joined at 45 years, and my service has been an awesome journey in terms of my personal growth.
“This mahi opens your eyes because you get to be on the frontline and experience the good, the bad and the ugly. You are supported and you build resilience.
“Being a fire fighter is a good opportunity for anyone willing to help others and contribute to the community.”
It’s especially good for young people starting out, Butler says
“It is a great stepping stone for our rangatahi to grow themselves. Pete and I have been involved in a few rangatahi volunteer programmes in the Ruapehu district and that has been very rewarding.
“There are many personal characteristics gained for rangatahi such as humility, confidence, courageousness, compassion, reliability and enthusiasm.
“It is a privilege to do this mahi,” she says.
Getting started on the track to becoming a fire service volunteer is as simple as “rocking up” to someone in uniform, says Pehi.
“Just tell them to rock up to a training night, or rock up when you see someone that’s got a uniform on or cruising around on those trucks.
“Just ask. The more people that ask, gosh we’re so thankful for them just to approach us.”