The station won the Public Architecture category at the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Regional Awards 2026.
Flack said the award showed how good the local talent that went into building the station was.
“All our partners are all locals, the build crew’s local, so we’re really proud of this being a facility for our community, built by our community.
“It’s really cool to see all that local knowledge go into a facility like this.”
The solar panel-covered building features a sloping roof, which has a unique purpose.
Rainwater is harvested from the roof into 50,000-litre capacity tanks.
The collected water is used to wash the fire trucks, but can also, in emergencies, be used for firefighting.
The building also has a modern gym and office.
Napier Mayor Richard McGrath was spotted enjoying a tour of the station’s Judy Drench fire truck – the $1.6 million firefighting machine that can spray water up to 90m.
He said the new fire station made the region a “hell of a lot safer and a hell of a more resilient”.
“If your flight turns to custard or something’s not right, you want to know that there’s someone ready to go and ready to go properly. We don’t muck around with lives. So it’s a good investment.”
Napier Mayor Richard McGrath sitting inside the fire truck Judy Drench. Photo / Jack Riddell
Airport Fire Station Officer Brian Bassett said fighting fires wasn’t the only thing the airport’s fire crews do – it’s actually the rarest part of the job.
They also have to manage wildlife, and with the airport surrounded by an estuary, crews work around the clock to keep birds, deer and even seals off the runway.
To do this, crews use stockwhips, gas guns, fireworks and even driving near animals to keep them away, Bassett said.
The latest technique involves cutting the grass surrounding the runway to 250mm.
This helps to control the birds’ habitat and keep magpies and plovers away, while smaller birds like swallows and sparrows tend to stay on the tarmac for its warmth, which is why crews chase them away in vehicles.
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand.