An aircraft engineer, automotive engineer and a Tall Fern were among 26 recruits who graduated as firefighters yesterday, including three destined for Invercargill Fire Station.

The firefighters have spent the past 12 weeks training at the Fire and Emergency New Zealand's National Training Centre in Rotorua.

Yesterday, Thursday, June 24, they were presented with their yellow operational helmets and ran through a range of firefighting scenario exercises to showcase their new skills to family and friends.

Former aircraft engineer Mark Johnstone, 35, decided to join up after emergency services helped him when he needed it.

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"I wanted to do the same and try to make others’ worst days a little bit better," he says.

"I was born and bred in Invercargill so I’m really looking forward to giving back to my community and putting my new skills into action alongside the team at Invercargill Station."

It's a similar story for Dunedin-based Alex Schofield, 39. 

He first thought about becoming a firefighter about 10 years ago, but an opportunity came up to move overseas. When he returned to New Zealand after nine years working as an automotive engineer, the desire to become a firefighter hadn’t gone away.

"I wanted to be there for others the way firefighters helped me and my dad when he had a medical event," he says.

"Firefighters were there for me and my family on my worst day, and seeing what they did for us totally changed my perspective on my life. I wanted to that for someone else."

NZ's newest firefighters demonstrate their skills

The two other Southland recruits will also be based out of Invercargill fire station.

Ella Fotu, 25, represented New Zealand as a Tall Fern in 2019 and 2020, will be based at Devonport fire station in Auckland.

She had plans to play basketball professionally in Australia but COVID-19 cut those plans short. Instead, she listened to the advice of two firefighters she knew who suggested she become one herself.

"Being a firefighter ticked a lot of boxes for me - a physical job, teamwork, helping others and being a positive role model, especially for Pacific girls," says Ella.

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"And I feel like I’ve become a builder, a sparky and a mechanic too.

"Firefighters don’t just respond to fires. We also respond to medical events, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous substance emergencies, weather events, urban search and rescues and more.

"I’ve learnt a lot over the past three months of training but the best part of the course has definitely been the people. They’re a great bunch here for sure."

Apply to be a career firefighter here.

Applications are open until 5pm, 30 June, 2021.