“You don’t do it for a reward, the reward is the work.” The citation is a rectangular silver framed navy-blue bar featuring a red stripe to signify the bushfire event, and a waratah, which is the NSW State Flower. In addition, recipients received a letter from Gladys Berejiklian, the Premier of New South Wales, and a commemorative cap. But it was also a day of remembrance and reflection for the crew, who say despite their deployment being just over a year ago, it felt like much longer. “With Covid-19, it feels like it was so long ago and you have to think it was really bad for Australia, Charlotte McGoldrick, rural crew leader for Ngāmotu VRFF, said.
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Fire and Emergency New Zealand women s development manager Rachael Utumapu, 50, gave up hairdressing because she wanted to help people. She s been doing just that for more than 17 years.
Rachael Utumapu has gone from stepping foot inside the New Plymouth brigade as its first female firefighter to working with women in the service all across the country. Utumapu is one of the Taranaki women working within emergency services being celebrated for International Women’s Day, which fell on Monday. “I’m privileged to have been part of people’s situations when they needed us,” she said. “It s really amazing.”
“It was super quick thinking,” he said. “The upper floor occupants were able to escape.”
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The 120-year-old central city cottage was split into two flats. He said it was a timely reminder to always have an escape plan in place and make sure homes had working smoke alarms. A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said all three occupants were transported to Taranaki Base Hospital on Tuesday night, two with minor injuries and one with serious. A Taranaki District Health Board spokeswoman said the man, who was seriously injured, was flown to Waikato Hospital around 4am on Wednesday morning.