A newly-appointed manager in Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is pushing for more Pacific recruitment.
Esitone Pauga is the Operations Capability Manager in FENZ and is currently the highest ranking Pacific Island officer in the organisation.
He says his new position allows him to be a Pacific Island role model and push to attract more Pacific people to the job.
"It's always good to go as high as you can and get into those ranks where key decisions are made," he says.
Pauga says Pacific fire-fighters contribute more than just physical strength to the job.
"They bring that family focus and they make people gel together as a group," he says. "They're very supportive and encouraging and have that natural leadership."
He says Pacific fire-fighters are community-driven and it shines through their work.
Niu FM reports Pauga is from the villages of Afega and Laulii in Samoa.
He's currently in Wellington working to establish the Afi Pasefika programme that he launched in 2009, which applies a Pacific lense and values to the work being done around fire safety
Photo: Radio 531PI Caption: Esitone Pauga (in uniform) is the highest ranking Pacific Island officer in Fire and Emergency New Zealand.