Coastguard New Zealand celebrated the organisation’s heroes over the weekend by announcing the recipients of its national awards.
Coastguard New Zealand CEO Bruce Reid said the Annual Conference which ran from the 12th to 14th of September, was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the organisation and the bravery of its personnel.
“Coastguard is made up of professional volunteers who don’t think of themselves as heroes. The fact is, that the men and women who make up our ranks are professionally trained, but still put themselves at risk to keep Kiwis safe on the water.
“The award winners have all shown outstanding service to Coastguard and their local boating communities, says Reid.”
The four categories in the 2008 national awards are:
- Performance of the Year
- Tait Radio Communications Operational Volunteer of the Year
- Chevron Air Patrol Volunteer of the Year
- Chevron Rescue Vessel Volunteer of the Year
Each of the nominees for these awards are already “winners” in their own right. To be nominated for the national awards, they have first been the recipient of the award in one of the four Coastguard New Zealand regions.
The individual award recipients receive a prize that assists with furthering their education and professional development in the organisation.
The recipients of the 2008 Coastguard New Zealand national awards are:
Coastguard Whitianga - Performance of the Year. This was awarded as a result of an outstanding rescue earlier in the year just east of Whitianga where two people were rescued in adverse conditions. The Whitianga Unit is the proud winner of an outboard motor sponsored by Suzuki Marine.
Chris Henshaw - Coastguard Mana - Tait Radio Communications Operational Volunteer of the Year. Chris is from Coastguard Mana. He will be the guest of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard where he will observe many aspects of Coast Guard in Australia first hand.
Rosie Musters - Chevron Air Patrol Volunteer of the Year. Rosie is from Coastguard Air Patrol Nelson. Rosie will be winging her way off to visit the US Coast Guard in Hawaii where she too will observe the US Coast Guard in operation. The learning opportunity that this provides for Professional Volunteers is immense.
Richard Packham - Chevron Rescue Vessel Volunteer of the Year. Richard is from Coastguard Rotorua Lakes and will be in for the experience of a life time when he attends the RHIOT (Rigid Hull Inflatable Operator Training) school in Canada early in 2009. The course includes both classroom and on the water training and has been highly recommended by previous winners.
The Gala Awards Dinner was proudly supported by Vodafone with each of the winners receiving a Vodafone mobile phone.
Well done to all of the nominees and congratulations to the winners.
Chris Henshaw, Richard packham and Rosie Musters with their Awards