Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade’s long-serving chief retires from the role on Saturday.
Alan Burgess, 74, will step down after 55 years with the brigade, including the last 35 years as chief.
Alongside Superintendent Thomas Barber, who was in the top job from 1900 to 1935, Burgess is the longest serving chief in the brigade’s 150-year history.
Deputy chief Jeff Marshall is taking his place, while station officer Andy Rattray will be deputy chief.
‘‘I never thought in my mind to do 35 years, that was never an aspiration that’s for sure. Time just got away on us,’’ Burgess said.
But the longtime legend of the brigade is not entirely leaving firefighting. He will remain in operational support, where members assist at fires in behind-the-scenes areas such as traffic management, and at the station in jobs such as administration and fire reports.
Burgess said as much as he had enjoyed his role as chief over the years, he was not sad to be stepping down.
‘‘It’s certainly been a major part of the life up until this point, it will be different,’’ Burgess said.
He more so was mindful of the joy of the job to date, satisfied to see the brigade where it was today.
Burgess has a proud legacy, one where callouts have grown to more than 400 per year.
The year he started as chief in 1989, there was just 154 callouts.
The brigade was going strong, with more than 55 members across areas including urban, rural and operational support. When he joined at the age of 19, there were about 25 members.
‘‘It’s about the planning and the commitment, just making sure you do have the numbers.’’
He added it was ‘‘a real pleasure’’ to see fellow firefighters progressing in their skills and abilities.
A highlight of his long career had been making friends around the country and overseas through fire service connections.
Burgess was chair of the United Fire Brigades’ Association, which represents and provides services to more than 690 brigades throughout New Zealand.
Today he is chair of the association’s benevolent fund, which provides assistance to brigade members and their families going through tough times.
Jeff Marshall, 58, said it was a ‘‘huge honour’’ to have been successful in his application for chief, replacing Burgess.
‘‘They are huge shoes to fill, there’s no doubt about that,’’ Marshall said.
‘‘His knowledge of the fire service and FENZ… that’s going to be a hard act to follow. I have a lot of support from the brigade, which is good. I’m looking forward to it.’’
The husband of Kerry, dad of two adult children and the owner of Jeff Marshall Motorcycles, also joined the brigade when he was 19.
Marshall became deputy chief when another longtime legend, Graeme Baker, stepped down from that role, into operational support, about five years ago. Baker is the brigade’s longest serving member, having joined in 1966.
Meanwhile, the new deputy chief, Andrew Rattray, 60, is just as excited as Marshall to be taking up a new role.
‘‘It’s quite exciting, it’s also a little bit mind boggling,’’ Rattray said.
‘‘It’s a really different role to what I’m used to, a lot more involvement with people development, people skills. I’m very much looking forward to the challenge,’’ Rattray said.
He has been a member of the brigade for 29 years, and was a member of the Hinds rural brigade for 11 years prior to that.
He is parts manager at Ashburton Toyota, husband to Michelle with two adult children.
Both Marshall and Rattray have sons also serving in the brigade – Marshall with 26-year-old Scott who is a new recruit firefighter just finishing his training, and Rattray with 22-year-old Nick who has been in the brigade for four years.
