He Hokinga Mahara, A Returning of Memories

He Hokinga Mahara has been created to honour the service and contribution of the Fire and Emergency personnel during the severe North Island weather events of early 2023.

He hokinga mahara is a phrase used to describe a sense of returning to a place, time or event held in a person’s memory. The book  is a reflection on how things unfolded through the eyes of those on the ground, and the impacts these events had on individuals, families and communities, as well as on brigades and our organisation as a whole.

Great care has been taken to ensure that groups who were directly involved in the response, whether that was on the ground, in the air or in crucial support roles, have had the opportunity to input into the book.

He Hokinga Mahara is being delivered to Region and District offices around the motu to be distributed to brigades and offices. It is an opportunity for all personnel to read and reflect on the work we do when we answer the call.

Recently Russell Wood, National Commander, shared some reflections about He Hokinga Mahara and memories of what he witnessed during the different events. Check out Russell’s reflections here.

Given the nature of these severe weather events and the impacts on communities and personnel, the content of He Hokinga Mahara may bring back memories of a not-too-distant past. While this is a natural part of the process of reflecting on these events, support is available to help our people and their families deal with any concerns that might arise as a part of reflecting on this time. To find out more, go to The Portal   >   How do I   >   Safety, health and wellbeing.

If you would like extra copies of He Hokinga Mahara, please email communications@fireandemergency.nz.

Thank you to everyone who played a part in our response to these severe weather events. Your contribution is forever valued.