A King’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medal has been awarded to one of the Swannanoa Volunteer Fire Brigade’s founding members.

The medal, which was presented at a recent awards night, recognised Senior Firefighter Paul Fiddymont’s many years of service to the brigade and community. Fiddymont has been with the brigade since its inception in 2012.

“It was an honour to accept the medal at our recent biennial honours evening.

"You don’t join a brigade looking for medals, but I have been very grateful for the support from the Swannanoa community to the brigade over the years," he said.

“What has impressed me during the 15 years I have been involved here is the fact that we have never been short of volunteers.

"The community is wonderful in that we always have a waiting list of people wanting to join, and they always step up when needed.”

Over 90 guests, including invited dignitaries, attended the function held at the Darjon Vineyard, who donated the venue hire to the brigade.

On the night, several significant service milestones were also presented to 24 members of the small volunteer rural brigade.

The brigade began when the community came together to ask the Waimakariri District Council for help to form one.

At that time, before Fire and Emergency NZ was formed, rural and small-town volunteer fire brigades came under the control of district councils, who funded their operations.

The residents felt that as the fastest growing community in North Canterbury, and as their position was halfway between three other brigades, they said it was time for them to have their own.

Several recent fire call-outs that could have been quickly extinguished, but weren’t, were the inspiration for the call to arms.

Fiddymont said a public meeting was called and when the council team arrived, they found 20 people already waiting to sign up before the hall was even opened.

“We had no shortage of volunteers, and for the first couple of years we trained and operated out of a shed at a nearby private aerodrome. Since 2019 we’ve been in our permanent temporary station on the corner of No 10 Road and Tram Road.”

Fiddymont started as the Chief Fire Officer but over the years has stepped back to allow others to grow within the organisation.

His sons have all been volunteers, as have many other members from the families of the original founding members in the district.

The Assistant District Commissioner Des Irving presented SFF Paul Fiddymont with his medal, and acknowledged the work by members of the small station which has responded to 160 call-outs in the last 12 months.