Current NZFBI Council
David O'Sullivan
President
David is a SFF and has been in the Wanaka, then Luggage Brigade for 15 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 led 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
Vice President
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 works 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).
Jean is on the Committee for WFENZ and NWAC.
She was voted onto the board of NZFBI at the 2021 AGM. Jean is looking forward to providing governance support to the NZFBI Board.
Philip Hunt
Council Member
Philip is a Station Officer in the Darfield Volunteer Fire Brigade. He has also spent time in the Rural Fire Service as a Deputy Fire Force Controller and RFO. Philip is self-employed, working in the transport sector. Prior to joining Fire and Emergency, Philip volunteered with St John for 20 years and has a Bachelor of Nursing Degree.
Philip’s leadership and governance skills have been enhanced after completing the Mentorship Program through FENZ and professional development with business coaching, and he currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Mid Canterbury Fire Brigades Sub Association.
Philip is a regular attendee at the Auckland stair climbs and enjoys the outdoors either running or hunting in the hills around Canterbury.
Joe Stanley
Council Member
Joe joined the New Zealand Fire Service in July 2012. In his time as a Career Firefighter, Joe progressed through all of the Career TAPS programs up to, and including, the Career Senior Station Officer TAPS. Joe is currently enrolled in the Career Executive Officer TAPS programme, with a view to completing the tertiary education component in 2024.
Joe is a certified trainer, scoped in Aerial Appliances, Qualified Firefighter, and Senior Firefighter. He has recently applied to become a Station Officer Assessor.
Joe has worked at NHQ as a Senior Advisor across two separate secondments in both the Transition Project at the stand up of Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and in the Integration Programme.
Before joining the New Zealand Fire Service, Joe served as a commissioned officer in the New Zealand Army. During his time as a Regular Force Army Officer, Joe instructed at The Army Depot – Regular Force Company, and the New Zealand Army Combat School. His last regular force posting was as the Adjutant/Staff Officer of 5 Wellington West Coast Taranaki Battalion Group.
As a new firefighter, Joe also worked in the Reserve Forces of the NZ Army as a Developments Officer in the Defence Force Property Group. He was responsible for the management of NZDF property projects across the various NZDF camps and bases.
Joe is also the National Vice President of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union. Working with Fire and Emergency national managers across a variety of national projects.
Andrew Cotter
Council Member
Andrew joined the NZFBI Council during 2023 and achieved his Member Diploma in 2016. He is currently preparing his submission for Fellow.
Andrew joined the Inglewood Volunteer Fire Brigade in 2007, and is currently an SO-Qualified SFF. He has responded regularly, and continues to respond for other brigades during daytime hours while working in their turnout zones.
During his time with Inglewood, he has held several positions and been actively involved in all aspects of the social and serious sides of the brigade.
Andrew has been employed with NZFS and now Fire and Emergency NZ in Fire Risk Management and Risk Reduction roles since 2015. Andrew is appointed as a FENZ Inspector, qualified as a Specialist Fire Investigator, is a Registered Fire Investigator with the Emergency Management Professionalisation Scheme (EMPS) administered by AFAC.
He is a member of a number of organisations such as the Building Officials Institute of NZ and the New Zealand Association of Fire Investigators and serves on the Institute of Fire Engineers (Taranaki Group) committee. He is currently undertaking study through the Canberra Institute of Technology, towards an Advanced Diploma of Public Safety (Fire Investigation).
As the Immediate Past President of the Taranaki Provincial Fire Brigades’ Association, Andrew has a strong connection to Career, Natural Environment and Urban Volunteer brigades and their members through his time on the Provincial and through his day-to-day work. Andrew has worked in other districts for short periods of time and has built relationships there too.
Building technical knowledge and capabilities in all of our people is a passion for Andrew, and he strives to make time in his busy schedule to help educate and improve how brigades and firefighters develop themselves and apply this in their roles with FENZ.
Andrew has previously worked in a range of technical roles in Local Government as a Hydrology Officer undertaking compliance functions, environmental monitoring and water resourcing; Dairy products manufacture including process improvements and supply chain coordination; and in the Oil and Gas industry.