Canterbury fire crew respond to fellow volunteer's death

The Lincoln Volunteer Fire Brigade respond to many medical event calls, but on Thursday last week they responded to a call for one of their own.

Canterbury senior firefighter Gavin Thomas Lack died on Thursday, January 4. He was a long-standing member of the crew and a close mate.

His service with the brigade spanned 12 years, four months and 19 days, from August 17, 2011 to January 4, 2024.

Senior station officer Kyle Steans said he had known Lack since before he became a firefighter, and always knew him to be a kind and gentle guy.

"He stands out as someone with a common-sense, practical approach and a calm demeanour. I can’t recall ever seeing him angry, even during moments when he might have been frustrated. He’s a fantastic person to work with, and we’ve been good mates from the start," he said.

Before he began working as a volunteer firefighter in 2012, Lack was deeply passionate about photography.

Steans said when the crew were called out to events, Lack would often be waiting across the road in his car, following the brigade and capturing moments during the call.

He soon became their official brigade photographer - "moving away from a lone ranger" - and eventually joined the brigade as operational support.

In 2016 he graduated as a firefighter, and eventually worked his way up to become a senior firefighter.

Lack also gained employment with Fire and Emergency NZ, and during his tenure, he joined the Risk Reduction Team, was a fire investigator, worked in logistics and as a member of the Urban Search and Rescue (Usar) team and was part of a project for the Lincoln Volunteer Fire Brigade’s communications network.

Steans said outside of the brigade, Lack was fast friends with the Steans and the rest of the crew, frequently catching up with the group multiple times a week for coffee and training sessions.

"He’s always someone you can rely on to be there [and] help out with social activities. He’d spend a lot of time on the brigade management group as a brigade representative... He’s just sort of sort of an all-round guy, and a real good mate," said Steans.

Steans said Lack was fast to rise to a senior level within the brigade, and undoubtedly had the potential to achieve even more.

"Unfortunately, the opportunity to continue his journey was cut short," he said.

Steans said the loss had hit the team hard.

"It’s been pretty damn tough... Between us all, we’re sort of connecting with each other, and we’ve got a few things planned to bring the brigade together. Looking out for each other is one of the big things at the moment."

Ben Tomsett is a multi-media journalist for the New Zealand Herald based in Dunedin.