Murray Forward, Arrowtown volunteer fire brigade’s chief fire officer (CFO), receives a prestigious 25-year gold star at the brigade’s awards night last Saturday from United Fire Brigades’ Association president Amber Hollis.
CFO for about 10 years, Forward says his 25-member brigade’s ‘‘a bigger animal’’ than it used to be.
He is thought to be its first gold-star recipient for about seven years.
Forward’s fire fighting force has just been reinforced with an emergency response vehicle for which about $150,000 was raised in a massive fundraising effort.
Meanwhile, it’s fitting Hollis performed the ceremonial duties as she was formerly a station officer during Forward’s reign.
She’s nowadays a regional trainer with Fire and Emergency New Zealand and a volunteer with the Alexandra-based Dunstan brigade.
