Become A Volunteer apply now
There's a particular camaraderie that belongs only to those who've shared in a challenge to save the life of a fellow human being. It's an experience that Coastguard crews know and value.
There’s more than camaraderie to being a Coastguard volunteer. You’ll learn seamanship, boat handling, navigation and leadership. You’ll find yourself stretched, sometimes physically, sometimes mentally. And you’ll find a powerful new meaning to your life as an active contributor in your local community.
10 Rescues a Day
In an average day in New Zealand Coastguard sends out 10 rescue crews to assist someone who is in some degree of trouble on the water. That’s over 3500 incidents every year, involving over 5600 people who may not be with us today if it wasn’t for our Coastguard volunteer crews.
All Volunteers
Whenever a call for help comes, our trained Coastguard volunteers race from their ‘day jobs’ to take their place as the crew on one of Coastguard’s 75 rescue vessels located around the country. Every crew member on board a rescue vessel or Air Patrol is a volunteer. These men and women participate in rigorous and regular training schedules to ensure that they have the skills and expertise required to handle sometimes bitter and challenging weather or sea conditions, and the issues that might confront them as they reach the scene. Most of those who man the radios are also volunteers.
Ordinary people with ordinary day jobs, from accountant to armoury sergeant , fireman to farmer, PA to policeman…. anyone with a desire to make their life count for something.
Without our 1800 volunteers around the country, New Zealand would have no Coastguard service. These people provide over 230,000 hours of their time every year to make sure that our local boaties can enjoy the magnificent waterways that we have, secure in the knowledge that should anything go wrong Coastguard will be there to help.
Have you got what it takes? Out on the water ANYTHING can go wrong. It may be mechanical (broken hose fittings, fuel pump, injectors); medical (heart attack, concussion, knife gash); it may be a collision between vessels, or a vessel and a submerged log; a swamping or grounding; a fire…
As a volunteer you will be trained how to handle the wide variety of incidents that can occur out on the water; you’ll be trained in seamanship; and you’ll be trained in marine search and rescue techniques. And you’ll earn yourself valuable recognised qualifications along the way.
You’ll be rostered onto the crew or onto radio watch, and will need to be available for those times. The area of the country in which you live will determine how often you are rostered, and whether that means you are actively out on the rescue vessel, or just on call. Your local Unit will be able to provide that information.
If you want to get something more from life CLICK HERE and complete the form, or call 0800 COASTGUARD and start your blood pulsing.
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