Twenty-five years of dedicated service with the Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade is no small feat.
For Waipā District Council’s compliance manager, Karl Tutty, who is the deputy chief fire officer of the brigade, it’s been a quarter of a century of answering calls at all hours, rushing to emergencies, and still showing up for work the next morning ready to go again.
Mr Tutty has been honoured for reaching a milestone achieved by only around 4% of New Zealand’s 12,000 volunteer firefighters.
During an evening celebration, he was presented with the United Fire Brigades Association 25-year medal and certificate, the Auckland Provincial Fire Brigades Association commemorative crystal, Gold Star Association pin, and a statue and plaque from Fire and Emergency New Zealand. He was also made a life member of the Te Awamutu Brigade.
Mr Tutty’s journey with the brigade started one day after he moved to Te Awamutu to start his new job at council, looking to meet new people, get involved with his community and set himself a challenge. The unpredictable nature of the role was one of the attractions.
“While my fitness was okay, I have never been close to ‘sporty’, and wanted to do something that didn’t take up my whole weekends,” he says.
“It’s a great organisation to be part of – everyone works together, whether it’s getting stuck in with the job, fundraising, or supporting other great causes and organisations.”
The Te Awamutu Brigade are all volunteers and attend around 380 calls a year.
When asked what’s kept him going for 25 years, Mr Tutty is quick to credit others. “A stable job and supportive employer that has allowed me to commit to the Te Awamutu Fire Brigade, and support from family – you need that when you have training at least once a week and you are on call at a moment’s notice.
“Making a real difference in the community and the support that wraps around you has also kept the passion alive.”
His leadership style has earned admiration both in the brigade and across Waipā. Speakers at the evening highlighted his respectful, people-first approach, his involvement in peer support and service at both regional and national levels.
Alongside his roles with the brigade and at council, he is also a Justice of the Peace and was appointed as a Civil Defence local controller in December last year.
“There is a lot of overlap with the experience I have gained through the fire brigade that has strengthened my council and emergency management roles, and vice versa.”
“For me, it’s a natural extension of what we do to support our community. Sometimes I just need to remember which hat I’m wearing when I turn up.”
From a young age, he had a sense that he’d end up in a public service role, following in his father’s footsteps, who also worked extensively in local government and is a Justice of the Peace.
And after 25 years of volunteering in Te Awamutu, there is no sign of him slowing down.
