A Swannanoa, N.C. greeting for a Swannanoa, New Zealand firefighter
Local fire department hosts visitor from sister station 8,500 miles away
Larry Pierson
Guest contributor
The Valley Echo
September 1, 2023
Casey Herbert, of the Swannanoa Fire Brigade in Swannanoa, New Zealand, visited the Swannanoa Volunteer Fire Department in N.C., Aug. 31. The organizations began coordinating the trip in the spring. Photo by Larry Pierson
There are 8,543 miles between two fire stations, but not much else stands between them. From Swannanoa, New Zealand to Swannanoa, N.C., many know the history behind the name, but most do not realize the ongoing community connection in public safety.
The Swannanoa Volunteer Fire Department in N.C. and the Swannanoa Fire Brigade in New Zealand have been connected through social media for several years, viewing posts of each other's calls for service, training events and brief glimpses into the lives of first responders on the other side of the world. The connection is important to both locations, and many members from each department have likely dreamed of visiting the other Swannanoa.
With the Aug. 31 arrival of Casey Herbert, of the Swannanoa Fire Brigade, that dream became a reality.
The SFB reached out to SVFD in April to begin coordinating a trip to the U.S. The organizations exchanged several messages before setting a date and time.
After Casey finished work at a summer camp in Maine, her brother Max Herbert and friend Lauren Massey, of Wirkswith England, joined her on planes, trains and automobiles, as the trio traveled through Washington D.C., Florida, Nashville and Western N.C.
The visit to the SVFD was the biggest box to check on Casey’s list, according to her brother and friend.
The guests arrived at the department, where the stations exchanged gifts and Casey presented a plaque to the SVFD, from the Fire Bridge. The organizations exchanged flags, patches and shirts.
Casey Herbert, center left, of the Swannanoa Fire Brigade in New Zealand, exchanged flags with the Swannanoa Volunteer Fire Department on an Aug. 31 visit to N.C. Photo by Larry Pierson
Casey noted several differences between the SFB and SVFD. The station in New Zealand does not operate fire hydrants in their district, sourcing water through a different connection system. and the Brigade has a waiting list for volunteers, while the SVFD is actively seeking new members.
Both organizations use nearly identical tools, Casey observed, and pride in the station and stewardship of equipment were shared characteristics.
“The crew went above and beyond hosting us today,” she said of her visit to the mountains. As Casey’s father also serves on the fire brigade, she was sure firefighters from Swannanoa would be well taken care of during a visit to New Zealand.
Casey spent the rest of the afternoon touring every apparatus housed in the main fire station on South Avenue, and the substation and training center on Bee Tree Road. Local firefighters taught her how to operate the ladder truck, along with several other hands-on interactive sessions.
The communities share other similarities, according to Casey, who found traffic was certainly heavier in Swannanoa, N.C., which linked its name with the New Zealand community through John Evans Brown in 1864.
Brown’s family owned a mica mine in Asheville before he moved to Canterbury, New Zealand, where he named his farm after the Swannanoa River. Upon his return to Western N.C., Brown constructed an estate he named Zeelandia on the top of Beaucatcher Mountain.
Casey Herbert of the Swannanoa, New Zealand Fire Brigade inspects the equipment on an Aug. 31 visit to Swannanoa, N.C. Photo by Larry Pierson
Casey and her traveling companions enjoyed the natural beauty of the Swannanoa Valley during their visit, as they toured sites like Lake Susan and Lake Tomahawk before enjoying local barbecue and Mexican cuisine.
“We do not have Mexican food anywhere in our area and this is just awesome,” said Casey, who plans to return for future visits.
For both Swannanoa communities there is a certainty people will always need help. A department and brigade thousands of miles from each other are where other people gather to fill the needs of their neighbors during times of crisis.
We are all connected.