Three generations of Thomsons have served at the Akaroa Volunteer Fire Brigade. Thomson himself is in his 44th year.
He followed in his father’s footsteps, and his own two sons have now done the same.
“I served with my father and both of my boys have served in the Akaroa brigade with me,” Thomson said.
During his time Thomson has worn many hats. He has been a farmer, rugby player, coach, publican and, of course, a firefighter.
Thomson has lived in Akaroa most of his life. When he was 10, his family moved from Geraldine to a farm in Akaroa where his mother ran a local cafe, which Thomson helped out in after school.
When he finished school, Thomson went shearing for a couple of years around Banks Peninsula. A couple of years later his father rang him to tell him he had bought the Madeira Hotel in Akaroa and asked if he would come and help out.
“I thought, hmm, a 21-year-old being a shearer or a publican? Publican sounded like a lot more fun,” said Thomson.
Still living in Akaroa with his wife Jackie, the 61-year-old has a job managing a farm now.
“I used to have my own farms, they were all just leases but I got sick of battling the prices and sick of battling the weather so I just got a manager’s job, nice and simple.”
Thomson has three children, Ryan, 31, Shenae, 28, and Blake, 21. Ryan and Blake made a third generation of firefighters when they followed in their father’s footsteps and joined the brigade at 16.
Ryan is now a full-time firefighter at Sydenham fire station.
Thomson said he enjoys the brigade with its group of like-minded people of all ages.
“Everybody is there for the same reason, everybody is completely different but we all believe in, and want to do the same thing and that’s help people,” Thomson said.
Thomson spent his youth playing rugby for Banks Peninsula until he retired from the game at 32 and coached the kids and colts grades.
After a few years of not playing, he got bored and started playing football, which he still plays now.
A medical call-out that has always stuck in Thomson’s mind is one he attended with his son Blake.
He and Blake were first on the scene to a woman who had suffered a heart attack.
They administered CPR and brought the woman back to life.
"A few weeks later we got cards from all her grandkids, thanking us for giving them the chance to have another Christmas with their grandma, so that was really cool, it’s always stuck in my mind that one,” said Thomson.
Thomson enjoys the camaraderie in the brigade. The crew socialises together often.
He has been the chief fire officer for nearly nine years and has a passion for teaching new recruits.
"There’s been a lot of boys that I’ve had to work really hard to get them in the brigade and I honestly think it’s made a lot of difference to the boys.
"Between the rugby and the fire brigade, 99 per cent of them have turned out great people,” said Thomson.
Six of them have become full-time fire fighters. But sometimes it can be hard being a first responder in a small town where you know most people.
"When you get called out to somebody you know and you can’t do anything about it, when it’s a friend of yours or someone you know had an accident, or their house burns down, and when you get there there’s nothing you can do that really annoys me not being able to help,” Thomson said.
Thomson has seen a lot over the last 44 years as a first responder.
"You do get a bit long in the tooth and thick in the skin, it’s not old school mentality, it’s just the way you’ve got to be able to handle things,” he said.
He said the crew has a great support system, where they can debrief after traumatic events.
"It’s a lot better now than what it used to be. We’re all looking after each other,” Thomson said.
