The Omakau Volunteer Fire Brigade has a new chief to lead the team for the first time in eight years.

Dunstan Brook-Miller has been with the brigade for the past five years, and is also a member of the Clyde Volunteer Fire Brigade - where he started eight years ago.

The 33-year-old works as a safety technician at Clyde dam during the day so it made sense to be a member of both brigades, he said.

Dunstan was on a shortlist of three people for the new role.

“I was pretty shocked to be picked. It’s a big role to jump into,” he said.

The process to become a chief fire officer has changed recently, to enable younger members to step up into higher roles with the organisation, rather than waiting for someone to retire.

Dunstan said traditionally a person’s rank determined their position in the brigade, and the chief would have moved from senior fire fighter to station officer before being eligible for the top role.

But Dunstan’s rank was qualified volunteer firefighter now with a brigade leader role, although there would still be senior officers with a higher rank than him.

Lloyd Harris had been acting chief for Omakau for the past 7-8 years, replacing Ian Rietveld when he retired, and taking the role until a new chief could be chosen.

Prior to that Sam Leask had been the fire chief for many years, and then he stepped down and carried on as a senior fire fighter until he died in December 2024.

The Fire Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) group manager was responsible for the selection process and was looking for volunteers that had the right skills to lead and manage a brigade.

Dunstan said he had been pondering the position for the past year, and whether it was a good opportunity for him personally.

“But it’s not just about me, it’s about the brigade and the path forward and how they might be led.”

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