Lucy takes charge of Canterbury fire station

Otago Daily Times

07-08-2025

Lucy Turnbull tried her hand at many things before discovering firefighting.
Now, nine years later, she's the new station officer at the Amberley Volunteer Fire Brigade.
''I had always wanted to do it, but life got in the way and I never got around to it,'' she says.
Then in 2017, she took the first step, attending an open day at the Amberley brigade.
Introducing herself to those in charge there, they asked her to come along to their next Monday night training session, and she was hooked.
She worked as a recruit at the brigade for a year, then completed her qualification training at the Woolston Fire Training Centre in Christchurch.
Now a firefighter, she then went on to gain her qualified firefighter status at a five-day course held at the national training centre in Rotorua.
She then took a year off to join the New Zealand Army as a firefighter based in Burnham.
''When I finished all their courses, I served there for six and a half years while commuting to and from Amberley and also turning out when I could for the Amberley brigade.''
Recently, the station officer's position came up at Amberley, and Lucy was asked to apply by many of her friends at the brigade.
Her colleagues say Lucy does it all, from driving the fire truck and battling fires to responding to medical calls, running training sessions, and mentoring recruits.
They say Lucy also does it all with a smile and an unmatched drive.
''Everyone has been very supportive of me.
''As the first female station officer they have had in their long history, it is a special position, but the response by all the 26 members of the brigade has been amazing,'' she says.
In her new role in the brigade, she leads crews on call-outs, supports the chief fire officer and his deputy, and helps run the Monday night training sessions.
She continues to volunteer with Taskforce Kiwi, aiding communities all over the country, when she can, while she is developing an animal and pet wellness business, High Spurs Animal Aid, in North Canterbury.
Originally from a farming background, Lucy gained her qualifications in veterinary nursing, agribusiness management, canine behaviour and training and Emmett equine muscle release therapy, and is now studying to become a qualified canine and equine osteopath, all while pursuing a degree in psychology and emergency management.
Lucy is a true animal lover as she cares for five horses, nine dogs, two alpacas, two leopard geckos, seven lovebirds, one cat and a skateboarding turtle named Evelyn.
This weekend, she's off to race a fire engine around a race track in the UFBA Drivers Challenge alongside firefighters from all over the country, in order to improve her skills handling a fire engine on the road.