Jodi Reymer does some hard yards on the world championship course. Photo: Sha Jackman
Pirongia Rural Fire Force will get its newest female senior firefighter early next year.
After seven years in the brigade, Jodi Reymer is training with an eye to stepping into the role when she qualifies in March.
In achieving that rank, Reymer will become the Pirongia brigade’s second current female firefighter – alongside Sheryl Ellis – to hold a senior role.
The Pirongia brigade attends about 100 callouts a year, and a quarter of its 20 or so firefighters are women.
Reymer and Ellis are joined by firefighters Kat Craig and Nikki Steenson, and new recruit Nicole Daniels.
“I’ve wanted to be a firefighter since I was a little kid,” Reymer said.
She did not set out to be a senior firefighter. It became an opportunity which presented itself because of her time in the brigade.
“For me, the most special part is the teamwork and camaraderie.”
Reymer continues her senior firefighter training having returned from the 32nd World Firefighter Challenge Championships in Florida earlier this month.
Te Awamutu’s Rob Wiley competed in the over 60s men’s category.
A first-time participant, Reymer won two bronze medals – one in the under 40 female individual event, the other in a women’s relay category.
She is the only Pirongia firefighter competing in firefighter challenges.
More than 350 firefighters from 17 countries flocked to Florida for the challenge which simulate the demands of firefighting by having competitors climb a five storey tower, hoist and drag hoses, and rescue a lifesized, “victim”.
Competitors wear a full firefighting kit, including breathing apparatus, which weighs up to 20kg.
Reymer began training for the worlds in February with the Hard Ducks Firefighter Combat Challenge Team, made up of Te Awamutu and Pirongia firefighters.
Jodi Reymer
She joined the team in 2018 and competed in her first challenge in 2019.
Rob Wiley is one of her Hard Ducks teammates.
Training on a practice challenge course at the Te Awamutu Fire Station in preparation for Florida, Reymer also completed gym workouts, went on runs
and often walked up the Hakarimata Summit Track with friends.
Competition wise, she enjoys the process of setting and achieving goals.
“I’m so grateful for the Hard Ducks – they have trained me all the way. I certainly wasn’t expecting an individual medal though.”
Reymer is the open female national champion. She won that title at this year’s United Fire Brigades Association Firefighter Challenge in Wellington in May.
There, she and Te Awamutu firefighter Dave Shaw were also co-ed tandem champions.
Individually too, Shaw was named over 50 male champion, while Wiley was over 60s male champion.
In her individual event in Florida, Reymer finished in a time of 2m 18s – just two seconds shy of the New Zealand record.
“It really was a battle against the heat in Florida,” she said.
“You dig deep and are completely running on empty by the end of the course.”
Pirongia Chief Fire Officer Roan Gouws said Reymer is a “wonderful firefighter, and an asset to the Pirongia brigade”.
Te Awamutu’s Rob Wiley competing in Florida. Photo: Sha Jackman
