Our History
Officers in Charge
1933 - 1942 Captain Harry Jane
A close friend of Superintendent Bill Wilson, Harry Jane spent some time researching the authority and roles of Fire Police before he was elected Captain: his strong will, tenacity and play-it-by-the-rules put the new Corps on a firm foundation as it gradually established its place in the community.
1942 - 1967 Captain George Hedlund
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George Hedlund brought considerable fire brigade experience to the Corps when he joined in the foundation year and later took over as Captain. At his insistence he ordered the first uniform - shirts and trousers - and when the purchase exhausted Corps funds he personally footed the bill. This generosity extended to other gifts for the Corps but not to a sense of consensus. He held strong views on most things and expected others to share them, without question.
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1967 - 1970 Captain L D (Des) Beuth
In Captain Beuth's comparatively brief tenure, the Corps consolidated in provincial and nation-wide circles, helping form a provincial association of Fire Police Corps and, twice, attempting (without success) to join the United Fire Brigades' Association (UFBA). Instead, Mr Beuth in 1970 witnessed the formation of an alternative to the UFBA, a nation-wide association for Fire Police.
1970 - 1989 Captain R. (Dick) Reid *
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Joining the Corps after service with the local wartime fire brigades, Dick Reid's captaincy brought innovation and invigoration to the Corps with full support (or perhaps it was insistence) from the Fire Board. The uniform was changed, the turnout system improved and regular training was introduced. Dick was the "face" of Fire Police in Auckland for many years, and much further afield through his participation in provincial and national bodies.
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1989 - 1996 Divisional Officer R. (Ric) Carlyon
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A tenure of consolidation with the Fire Service (Operating Instructions overhauled, annual grant increased and guaranteed, periodic reporting introduced) and the Unit raised sufficient funds to equip every member with a pager and radio. The "look" of the Unit changed too, the long-suffered, unsuitable, yellow plastic jackets replaced by black bunker coats (soon found similarly unsuited to Fire Police duties), and white/orange jerkins for traffic duties. All Unit Officers allocated "portfolios" to streamline and share management and administration of the Unit's increasing workload.
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1996 - 2010 Chief Fire Officer J. (Jim) Smith **
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Early on in his time as Chief, Jim Smith took the Unit into a business-like structure with Officers, all now members of the Management Committee, responsible for their own portfolios and budgets. The Unit's radio communication system received major overhaul and improvement and changes in uniform were put in place to make members much more visible - and safe - on the fireground. In 1997 he oversaw the introduction of the first Fire Police-dedicated urgent traffic van, a pioneering that has since led to an increase to the Unit's fleet of appliances ensuring timely Fire Police responses across a growing Greater Auckland and through ever-increasing traffic.
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2010 - Present Chief Fire Officer G. (Glenn) Teal
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Glenn grew up in a Fire Service "family" - his father was a volunteer in Whangarei for 42 years - and Glenn joined Auckland Fire Police in March 1979. His MSc (Hons) thesis was entitled "Efficiency and Equity of the Fire Service in Auckland", giving him a detailed insight into management and organisation of brigades throughout Greater Auckland. Coincidentally, he now leads Fire Police serving this same region, following 15 years as Deputy Chief Officer. Outside the Unit, Glenn's a consultant to the private sector and local government advising on planning, transportation and property development. He's closely involved with a number of philanthropic organisations, notably Chairman of the Baptist Trust, a governance role in the long-established investment trust which benefits Baptist charities. When, in November 2010, the NZFS set policy for the change from Fire Police to Operational Support, Glenn led the Unit's transformation which, on October 29 2011, was marked by a function to celebrate the milestone.
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* The Officer-in-Charge title changed to Divisional Officer in Nov. 1984
** The Officer-in Charge title changed to Chief Fire Officer in May 1996
