Current NZFBI Council
Pete Douglas
President
Pete has a 30 year career as a firefighter, beginning with the Lumsden Volunteer Fire Brigade on 1 July 1989. Pete has served with the RNZAF as a firefighter in 1990 before returning to Lumsden and consequently Dunedin Metro brigade in 1996. Pete has a Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Learning Level 7 through Otago Polytechnic.
Pete has an intimate knowledge of training, having been involved with National Training since 2005 working as a recruit trainer, then QFF, SFF and is now about to embark on Officer training nationally. Pete has also been a Road Crash Rescue assessor since 1997.
Pete is currently an SSO at Dunedin brigade and has the portfolio of Training Manager.
David O'Sullivan
Vice President
David is a SFF and has been in the Wanaka Brigade for 10 years, competing in Combat, Waterways, Wajax and Driver's challenges. He received his NZFBI Fellow Diploma in 2013. A trained builder and chef, he's also represented NZ in skiing, and coached numerous sports. A trip to Korea in 2018 to the World Firefighter's Games lead to wins in the 800m, 1500m and 3000m Steeplechase.
Training, teaching people how to do things, and coaching are all skills that he brings to the technical arm of the UFBA. David's goal and area of expertise is to see the council develop new training and qualification pathways, relevant to brigade and working life, giving real-world skills to people. Unit standards, increased field days, and dispersing technical information will achieve this.
Shaun Pilgrim
Council Member
Shaun has a 34 year career as a firefighter, joining the NZFS in 1985 as a volunteer of the Warkworth Fire Brigade (retiring as DCFO in 2018), then transferring to East Coast Bays as a career fire fighter in 1988. Shaun has worked his way through the ranks to SSO and is currently on his fourth secondment as Assistant Area Commander in Waitemata Fire Area. Shaun has also held specialised roles as Senior Fire Risk Manager, specialist fire investigator and also the Principle Advisor Fire Risk Management for the Auckland Region.
Shaun has also been a volunteer ambulance officer for 6 years at Warkworth. Shaun has instructed on courses from Recruit to SSO as well as specialised aerial appliance operation. With a qualification in the Executive Officer program and a post grad in executive management from Otago University School of Business, Shaun has also been a member of the Auckland Peer Support team for over 10 years.
Jean Barr
Council Member
Jean Barr joined the Amberley Fire Brigade 3.5 years ago as Operations Support. She is passionate about supporting her brigade and other brigades on the fire-ground. Jean has completed a variety of courses to help be a valid part of the Amberley Fire Brigade.
Jean has run Top Achievers Sales Training for the last 15 years and work all over New Zealand. Her governance career is quite extensive as Chair of Governance NZ Canterbury Branch, President of YWCA Canterbury, Vice President of YWCA NZ, Independent Director for Endurance, and Independent Director for LANZBC (Latin America New Zealand Business Council).
She was voted onto the board of NZFBI at the 2021 AGM. Jean is looking forward to providing governance support to the NZFBI Board.