Gold Star for firefighter | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

After serving 25 years with the Volunteer Fire Service, Rodney Wilson of Inglewood was presented with his Gold Star in recognition of his hard work and dedication at a ceremony held at the Inglewood Golf Club recently.

Rodney is a builder by trade and became a firefighter to be more involved in the community. "I wanted to help in the community and I had friends in the brigade so it seemed like the logical choice," he said.

He began his career at Patea where he spent 18 months with the brigade, before moving to New Plymouth where he served for nearly two decades. For the past three years he has been in the Inglewood Fire Brigade where he is now the Station Officer.

Twenty-five years on and he has worked his way through several ranks and now enjoys teaching new recruits the ropes.

"There is a lot of comaraderie in the Inglewood brigade and it is good to teach the young ones the ropes so they work well with the team," he said.

During his time as a volunteer firefighter, Rodney has seen his fair share of house fires and road accidents and is thankful for how supportive his family and friends have been towards his work.

"I saw my first big accident not long after I joined the brigade in Patea and it still impacts on me when I see them today. Without the love and support of my family, I wouldn't have lasted this long. They have had to put up with 1am call-outs and really long hours. My fellow officers and chiefs have also been great over the years and they have taught me a lot."

With a Gold Star to attach to his uniform, Rodney has no intention of slowing down and will continue to serve the Inglewood Fire Brigade.

"I'm going to keep on keeping on for as long as I can, rain, hail or sunshine!"