Mr Eade recently resigned from the Wallacetown Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer role and from the brigade.
However, he also is the Tiwai Industrial Fire Brigade chief fire officer.
Mr Eade said two years into his time as Wallacetown chief, while he was working in another role at Tiwai, the opportunity to become the chief at Tiwai came up.
He successfully applied for the paid position.
"I don’t think there’d be too many in New Zealand that have a chief in two brigades."
The Tiwai position is a fulltime role where he manages the 47 firefighters who work the four shifts at the aluminum smelter.
Now six years down the track of doing both roles, and 33 years in the Wallacetown brigade, he has resigned from the volunteer role to give himself more free time.
There came a time when everyone had to retire and it was fortunate he had the job at Tiwai, Mr Eade said.
"It has been my passion.
"It was like my hobby so if you love doing it, you’re in it 100%.
"I’m quite lucky I’ve got my hobby for my job now."
He was always destined to join the brigade as many family members, including a relative who served as a fireman in the navy during World War 2, had been firefighters.
His father John joined the Riverton brigade and then Wallacetown when the family moved house.
He grew up spending time at the station helping wash the fire trucks, he said.
When he was old enough, Mr Eade joined his father and brother Grant at the Wallacetown brigade.
"It definitely is a family affair."
He said his wife Gail knew what she was getting into because her father had also been a firefighter for 35 years.
The Wallacetown fire engine was one of the vehicles that carried the bridal party on their wedding day. The couple later bought it and restored it.
In some ways the brigade was like family.
"You do spend a lot of time together, training, callouts, social events that you have."
It was very satisfying being able to help people in their time of need, he said.
He said he had a close call one night when he walked across a road that he thought had been closed to traffic.
There was poor visibility due to low-lying smoke and a vehicle came by, hitting him with its side mirror.
He had also melted two helmets in the days when a firefighter drew back from the flames when their ear lobes started to feel hot.
