Ex-Fire and Emergency chief receives King’s honour for decades of service to Pasifika

A veteran Pacific fire leader has been formally recognised for more than four decades of service.

Leota Pauga Esitone Pauga received his Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit at Government House in Wellington on Tuesday.

Leota has been recognised with an MNZM for more than 40 years of service to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Pacific communities.

He was among four Fire and Emergency New Zealand personnel presented with their King’s Birthday Honours by Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.

Two other Fire and Emergency recipients will receive their awards at ceremonies later this month and in October.

Kiro said the honours recognise the contribution of people across Aotearoa.

Leota Pauga Esitone Pauga has been recognised for more than 40 years of service to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Pacific communities. Photo/RNZ/Adriana Weber

“The achievements and service of every New Zealander honoured on this list have helped make our country a stronger, better place, and I would like to thank them for their contributions.”

Leota, who retired in 2025 after more than 40 years with Fire and Emergency and the former New Zealand Fire Service. He became a career firefighter in 1981 and spent 32 years in operational roles before moving into senior leadership positions

But his contribution has also helped change the way fire safety and emergency services connect with Pacific communities.

Afi Pasefika works with Pacific communities on fire safety, recruitment and career advice across Aotearoa. Photo/Fire and Emergency NZ

He co-founded Afi Pasefika, also known as Pacific Fire, which has grown into a national network supporting Pacific representation within Fire and Emergency.

The network works with Pacific communities to deliver fire safety messages, encourage Pasifika to join the service and provide career advice to them.

Leota has previously spoken about the reason that work became so important to him.

During his career, he saw repeated fire deaths involving Pacific people particularly children and older people in Auckland communities.

“The sad thing is that they were the main sort of deaths that were happening. It wasn't until the fire service started collecting data [to find] out who the fire deaths are [that] it really showed up.”

He has said Pacific family structures, including grandparents caring for grandchildren while parents work, were among the factors that could leave some households more exposed to fire risk.

Firefighters respond to emergencies as part of the work Pauga dedicated more than four decades of his career to. Photo/RNZ/Richard Tindiller

Afi Pasefika was created to help bridge that gap, including through fire safety information in Pacific languages and greater cultural understanding within the service.

Leota also helped strengthen the relationship between Fire and Emergency and the Sāmoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority, including collaborative work to improve operational capability.

He led a team of New Zealand firefighters to Sāmoa in 2024 as part of Aotearoa’s contribution to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

His work also extended to the wellbeing of firefighters and their families. He represented Fire and Emergency on the Te Kiwi Māia Advisory Group from 2021 to 2025, helping support access to specialised wellness and recovery services.

When he was first told he had received the honour, Leota said the recognition came at a difficult time after the death of his younger brother.

“Just a few days before that, I heard that one of my younger brothers lost his battle with prostate cancer,” he said.

“So to get the phone call after that bad news, it was a nice and pleasant surprise for me. Just something to cheer about at that period of time. I know my brother would have loved it if he knew, because we're very close.”

Leota has previously said he sees the honour as recognition not just of his own career but of the people who supported him along the way.

“I want to thank the Fire and Emergency New Zealand, all my bosses, my team and those that helped me achieve this. The award is theirs as well.”

The six Fire and Emergency personnel recognised in this year’s honours include Leota and fellow MNZM recipient Michele Poole, alongside King’s Service Medal recipients Ian Blunt, Ted Ford, Graeme Kates and Ralph Pitcher.

For Leota, the formal investiture marks another chapter in a career that has linked fire safety, Pacific communities and emergency services across Aotearoa and the wider Pacific.

For more on the King’s Birthday Honours 2026, click here.