How are you?

Michelle | Akaroa

Michelle is the first woman senior firefighter at the Akaroa Volunteer Fire Brigade in 150 years. She felt called to this work after attending two car accidents. 

“I’m the first senior firefighter woman in a hundred and fifty years in Akaroa. So that’s pretty special.

We’ve got amazing brigade support. We’re all one big family, looking after each other. If we ever need to, we can talk among ourselves, and we’ve got strong support networks that we can reach out to as well.

I was first on the scene at two motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). One wasn’t a good outcome, and I ended up being there for quite a while on my own. The other one wasn’t as major. There were a couple of other incidents, and I just felt like I needed to know more.

After that happened, I decided that I needed to up-skill. I love helping people— that’s my passion. It makes me smile, makes me feel good. I love being able to help, especially when I can make someone’s day better in a time that’s pretty rough for them. I can be the one there, making their day a little easier, and just being there for them when they need it most.”