Former Sāmoan fire commander recognised for saving Pacific lives

A former Sāmoan fire commander says he is shocked and grateful after receiving a royal honour during a time of intense personal grief.

Leota Pauga Esitone Pauga has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King's Birthday Honours List 2026 for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).

He is one of 178 New Zealanders recognised in this year’s honours list including 12 recipients of Pacific heritage.

The King’s Birthday Honours are administered through the New Zealand Government and the Office of the Governor-General and recognise service to communities, professions, and the country.

Having served for more than 40 years before retiring, Leota received the award for his exceptional leadership and dedicated advocacy for Pacific people within the emergency services organisation.

Leota says the phone call informing him of the honour came while he was visiting his daughter and granddaughter in Australia.

Leota says it was a bittersweet moment to hear of his appointment in the King’s Birthday Honours 2026 list. Photo/Unsplash

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

“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 joined the fire service in 1981 in his early 20s, after initially considering a career in accounting. He served as an operational firefighter for 32 years in Auckland, moving up the ranks to become a senior station officer.

He later relocated to Wellington as an Assistant Commander in 2013, going on to become an Area Commander in 2015 and an executive commander at National Operations.

During his career, Leota saw repeated tragic fire deaths involving Pacific people, particularly young children and the elderly, in Auckland areas such as Onehunga and Māngere.

He says data later confirmed a troubling pattern.

“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.”

Afi Pasefika End Of Year Fono 2023. Photo/Fire and Emergency NZ

Leota says Pacific family structures, where grandparents often care for grandchildren while parents work, were part of what made some households more vulnerable.

In response, he co-founded Afi Pasefika in 2003 with Sulu Devoe. What started with just 12 members has grown into a national network of around 72 people.

The group works to promote fire safety in Pacific languages, increase Pacific recruitment into FENZ and support cultural understanding within the fire service.

He also praises the role of Te Kiwi Māia, an organisation that supports rehabilitation and wellbeing for first responders, veterans, and their families.

Leota says he is grateful to those who supported him throughout his career and wants to thank whoever nominated him.

“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.

“I want to thank the communities out there. There's a lot of people we've connected with, they've always been welcoming. I want to especially thank my wife and my family for their support.

“If she wasn't prepared to come to Wellington when I took the executive role, it probably wouldn't have happened. But she was all for it.

“I really appreciate it and want to acknowledge her as well. Our two daughters and family, this is for everybody.”

Leota says the honour belongs not just to him, but to the Pacific communities he has worked alongside for more than 40 years.

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