Selwyn Times: February 19, 2020

6 Wednesday February 19 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Our People
SELWYN TIMES
Cam Kenyon
​Fire chief encourages others
Rolleston chief fire
officer Cam Kenyon has
been volunteering at
the station since he was
16-years-old. He speaks
with Devon Bolger about
his 31 years of firefighting
and passion for helping
people
Are there any callouts that
have stuck with you?
The one that really stands out
is this time we got called to a
cardiac arrest, it was only about
a year ago. It ended up being a
26-week-old gestational baby,
the mother had given birth far
too early. The baby could have
fit in my hand but ended up
surviving and being completely
healthy.
I went to the Port Hills fires,
I’ve done the Dunsandel fires
but they are just fires and you do
what you do, but that baby that
survived, that stood out.
We actually met the parents
a few months later. It’s those
moments when you’re helping
people that mean more.
Those kinds of call-outs where
you make a real difference in
people’s lives.
DEDICATED: Rolleston chief fire officer Cam Kenyon has been volunteer firefighting for 31 years
and has no plans to stop anytime soon.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
How did you get involved in
firefighting?
I learned to be a volunteer at
Rolleston where I was living.
You had to be 16 so the day
I turned 16 I went down and I
spoke to the chief at the time and
he said to come back in a couple
of weeks, so I did. He was trying
to make sure I was keen and that
just kicked it off. I was in.
I was still at Lincoln High
School at the time. By year 12 I was
one of the founding members to
start the Students Against Drink
Driving.
I remember my first fatal callout
was for a drunk driver, so I
have always been against it.
I ended up going into the army
in 1991 as a firefighter and did 13
years there. I got to the rank of
sergeant. During that time I was
still coming back to Rolleston as
well so I was volunteering at the
same time I was in the army.
I left the army and got a job
at the airport fire service. I had
to start at the bottom again and
went through the ranks there.
I’m currently a shift manager at
the airport.
How did you become the chief
fire officer at Rolleston?
Basically, I joined and worked
my way up through the ranks.
Then, when Nigel Lilley stood
down as chief they accepted
applications and I was the lucky
one who got it. I was a station
officer at the time.
Do you enjoy being the chief?
I actually love it. It’s a challenge
because it is a lot busier than just
putting out fires and things like
that. There’s a lot of admin to do
as well, it’s all about driving the
brigade and taking it forward.
What keeps you going with
the brigade?
I love it. There’s something
about just going out and helping
the people and also training or
mentoring, especially when we
go to schools and kindergartens.
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