14/10/2025
Shout out to Brent Dickson!
Brent began his firefighting journey right here in Te Aroha and has gone on to dedicate a lifetime to the service. From being appointed youngest Officer in the New Zealand Fire Service to raising founds for community groups, we’re proud to have been part of his story.
We’re lucky to still have current members that had served alongside him.
Find out more about Brent’s journey in the post below.
Meet Brent Dickson. He has been our Deputy Chief for a while now. In fact Brent Dickson has not only been a DC, he has held every rank there is in the front line of the NZ Volunteer Fire Brigade Service during his time volunteering. That would take a life time I hear you say and you would be right! Brent has dedicated a life time to the Fire Brigade and to helping others.
Not only does volunteering in the Fire Service run in his family, with his Grandad serving in Eketāhuna for 13 years, and his father serving in Featherston, Matamata, Levin and Te Aroha for 27 years, but Brent recalls it was an employer who peaked his enthusiasm to sign up. It was way back in 1988, at the age of 17, that on the way to work one day, his boss who was also a firefighter in Te Aroha, and who he was travelling to work with, saved a man's life, rescuing him from a burning car that had an LPG tank threatening to explode. His boss broke the car window and pulled the man to safety. This made a huge impression on Brent and he joined up.
Born in Dannevirke Brent's family moved a lot and it was the Te Aroha Brigade that he started in. He truely lived and breathed the firefighter role having a 97% attendance rate to trainings and call outs and at the age of 21 was the youngest ever to be appointed an Officer in our NZ Fire Service.
But Brent did not confine himself to this alone, remembering I said he lived and breathed the Fire Brigade life. For nine years he ran competitions for the Fire Service, for example the Guns and Hoses competition where skills were pitted against the NZ Police. These were also fundraisers, where funds were raised for patients of burns, Burn Units and on the Police side funds were raised for the Blue Light projects.
Brent had some success at these competitions himself winning provincial medals and three National trophies. He represented the Thames and Waikato Fire Brigade rugby teams and participated in boxing matches as well. He took part in fundraising events in Wairarapa but had to leave the fourth time round as it was discovered he had a broken neck from an earlier rugby game!! I guess these days that's less likely to happen thank goodness, but back then, fair to say, they bred them tough.
When asked what his most memorable call out was, Brent talked about the burning down of a large homestead in the middle of town in Te Aroha. It was the biggest fire he's ever seen, even to this day, and was right at the beginning of his firefighter career.
Having lived in Eketāhuna, since the year 2000 now, I asked Brent what it was he liked most about our town. He said it was simply a good country town and a great place to raise kids. Brent and his wife Sylvia, have two boys and two very young grandchildren, one only a week old. His face beams with happiness thinking about that. Brent's favourite meal is a roast dinner, mutton, and what better meal to share with a growing family.
Brent's trade is building and he owns a successful small building company with most of his work being in the Wairarapa. Asked what he would do in his spare time if he had some, Brent said his favourite pastime out of the Brigade is fishing. He would like to do more.
