That call-out has always stuck with Nigel Lilley who marked 25 years as a volunteer with the Rolleston Volunteer Fire Brigade.
“Some of the most memorable (call-outs) can’t be gone into in detail,” Lilley said.
“There are scenes that people should never have to see, scenes which cannot be unseen.
“One of my first few calls was to a car that had been hit by a train. It was Christmas Eve. The sole occupant male of the car that was fatally injured had a massive teddy bear on the back seat.
“That one never leaves my mind.”
Ever since he was young,
Lilley has wanted to be a firefighter. That wish was realised in 1998, when he signed up for the Rolleston brigade at age 20.
In 2010, he was promoted to chief fire officer, a role he stayed in for 10 years until he passed on the reins in 2019.
He was also on the United Fire Brigades Association of NZ board and was deputy chair for a couple of years.
Lilley works at Fire and Emergency New Zealand in an information, communications and technology role.
Lilley has attended some big fires across Canterbury over the past 25 years, including the Orana Park fire in 2003, Port Hills blaze in February 2017, and Knights Rd fire near Rolleston in 2017.
“I worked voluntarily as a logistics officer in the city for two-and-a-half-weeks straight immediately following the Christchurch earthquake.”
Lilley’s skills have taken him overseas to Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States in 2014 and to Australia multiple times.
“There are probably only five or six fire stations I have never been inside of the 650 stations that make up our service.”
Lilley said it was good to be recognised, but didn’t want to make a big deal of it.
“I spend a lot of my time presenting these very awards all around the country.
“I certainly didn’t want the fuss, though.
“It’s not in my makeup."
