The Te Anau fire brigade has officially welcomed Justin Remnant to the role of Deputy Chief Fire Officer, replacing Neale Sutherland who has been with the brigade for 43 years.  

Sutherland has been in the role of deputy for 8 years, and although he has stepped down from the position he will continue with the brigade as a Senior Officer in operational support. 

He says that while he has enjoyed his time at deputy, being a firefighter isn’t always an easy job.  

“There is always a great feeling that you’ve achieved something when you’ve helped somebody or cut them out of a particularly bad accident, and they come back and see you to say thank you. But it can be quite hard.”  

“The highlight has been being in voluntary situation with extremely awesome people. That’s got to be the highlight.” 

He says Remnant is a great choice for Deputy Chief Fire Officer.  

“He was definitely my choice for deputy, so yes it’s definitely in safe hands.” 

“He’s well versed in it, he’s extremely up with the play.” 

Remnant, a second-generation firefighter in the Te Anau brigade, has been performing the tasks of deputy informally for the last two years. 

He is happy to now take the reins of the role more officially. 

“It makes it all real now, so I can act in the role properly and fully.” 

He says job of the deputy is to support the Chief Fire Officer and keep up the positive culture of the brigade.  

“The role is really co leading with the Chief and working alongside him. We keep the ship pointing in the right direction and keep the team doing what they’re doing, keeping up the good rapport around town and with the community.” 

“It’s sometimes hard what we do, but the really good thing is the team culture that we have.”  

Hamish Angus, Fire and Emergency New Zealand Group Manager for Northern Southland, says a good team is imperative to the smooth running of the brigade.

"Large brigades like Te Anau require a good management structure in order for them to ensure the brigade is ready to respond. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes that the public don’t see and this work plays a critical role in ensuring the brigade is fit and ready to roll 24/7."

"Having long serving volunteers like Neale, who take on Operational Support roles after holding a senior position, means that the experience stays with the brigade and helps build on the confidence of the wider team."

"Congratulations to Justin on his appointment, he has proven he is more than able for the responsibilities of the Deputy Chief."