They're usually fighting fires, responding to emergencies, and saving lives — but occasionally, they're lighting up social media.
Tūrangi's fire brigade, which has been serving its community since 1965, has become something of a sensation on TikTok — thanks to a string of viral videos.
The crew, made up of local volunteers, gained attention online after parodying a Bentley advertisement. In the original ad, a model proudly showed off the luxury car while whispering "Bentley" into a microphone. In the Tūrangi fire brigade's version, they switched the high-end car with a fire truck.
The parody video has since amassed more than 1 million views, and their videos collectively have more than 10 million views.
Tūrangi Fire Brigade chief officer Peter Hanne and volunteer rural firefighter Tommi Joyce are the creative brains behind the videos.
From firefighters to TikTok stars, the Tūrangi Fire Station crew are lighting up the internet with their moves. (Source: Breakfast)
"It's such an awesome feeling knowing that we're getting out there into the community and across the world humanising things. We're just ordinary people doing an extraordinary role. We're hoping to gain a few recruits," Joyce told Breakfast.
Hanne said it didn't take much convincing for him to become a TikTok star.
"It's certainly a different way to engage with the community," he said. "We're keen to try new things and see how it goes, and so far it's going well."
The success of the videos and the level of engagement had come as a bit of a surprise, according to Joyce.
"It shocks me every day. Even this morning I woke up and I got all the notifications on my phone. I just can't believe that what we're doing is having such a wide reach," Joyce added.
Watch the video above to see the volunteer firefighters in action.
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