Waiheke’s Connor Coetzee recently became one of the youngest paid firefighters in New Zealand after earning a spot in the competitive selection for one of two 2025 training intakes. He graduated late last month, and this week is settling in with the Newton Fire Brigade in Wellington.
Connor and his twin brother Jacob officially joined the Waiheke Volunteer Fire Brigade after a year of training, at just 16. They soon earned a joint nickname as the ‘heavy haulage unit’ as, in the words of training officer Rob Smith, they could turn up and together shift anything that needed moving, including cars.
• Paul Mitchell
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