Update

UFBA President’s Diary

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Kia ora fellow members

Welcome to my President’s diary, as there are lots of exciting updates coming and plenty to share with you, I will be posting more regular entries for the remainder of my term.

I’m pleased to say recently we’ve been able to get back to having honours functions and celebrating the well-deserved awards. Bookings have been coming in thick and fast and I now have only one free weekend before our AGM, which will no doubt be booked out soon.

The first Gold Star presentation to kick ceremonial functions off again took place over Easter and it was for Tim Cook from Newlands brigade in Wellington. I then had the pleasure of presenting the next Gold Star to Robert Walden from the Okaiawa brigade in Taranaki and last weekend I was in Te Kauwhata in the Waikato to present a Gold Star to Chief Fire Officer Glen Whitaker. These were all fantastic evenings and I felt very honoured to be part of their celebrations with all the recipients, their Brigade’s and whānau.

I was also privileged to represent the UFBA at the Royal Honours luncheon to celebrate Queens Service Medal recipients Murray Binning, Wayne Martin, Paul Wilkins, Bill Harris, Gina Chaffey-Aupouri and Brian Vincent for services to their community, who had been invested earlier that week. All were very proud, yet extremely humble recipients.

I attended the Taranaki Fire Brigades Provincial Association annual general meeting. There was a great turnout from member brigades, past presidents, life members and was well supported by their local and regional Fire and Emergency management team. The AGM included a presentation from St John and New Zealand Police who spoke on their local status and how well their agencies are working collaboratively with fire crews around the region. Well done to the outgoing President Craig Johnson and welcome to the new president Andrew Cotter along with his executive team.

We also had our UFBA Board meeting – these meetings provide an important opportunity with me as the President and leader of the Membership Advisory Panel to convey key messages to and from the membership. Please feel free to reach out to me any time as your representative, michael.allen@fireandemergency.nz

I am absolutely looking forward to visiting the many brigades around Aotearoa over the next five months as your president and beyond as immediate past President. June is a full month so look out for my update diary posts over the coming weeks. Stay safe and keep up the great mahi out there.

Ngā mihi