Stephen (Steve) Shaw (Ngai Tahu) has been awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and hockey in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.

Steve said the award came as a surprise and was “really quite humbling”.

“I was quite overwhelmed by it - I have no idea who put my name forward,” he said.

Steve has volunteered as an urban firefighter for more than 35 years, beginning with the Gore Volunteer Fire Brigade from 1987 to 1997, at which point he transferred to the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade. 

Steve also held leadership roles in the Central Otago Hockey Association between 2006 and 2013, refreshing the organisation with a community focus, and was instrumental as board chairman in the formation of Southern Region Hockey Inc. 

Volunteering was something he did without really thinking about, he said.

“You have to be involved with things. I didn’t feel like just sitting on the outside of some of these things.”

Steve’s family is “quite proud” of the recognition and he said it is for them as well.

“Largely it is about the sacrifices they made on the way through.

“When you are in the fire service, you are totally immersed and your family is too.”

He said the award was for them, and all the people he has ever worked with - “without them there is none of it, whether fire and emergency or hockey”.

Since 2017, Steve has led the Fire and Emergency Central Otago-Lakes Peer Support Team, which conducts defusing sessions following traumatic events and provides one-on-one support to firefighters experiencing personal psychological issues and trauma. 

Steve also held leadership roles in the Central Otago Hockey Association between 2006 and 2013, refreshing the organisation with a community focus, and was instrumental as board chairman in the formation of Southern Region Hockey Inc. 

In 2010 Steve was made a Life Honorary Member of the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade, and a Life Member of the Central Otago Hockey Association.