Firefighter makes his final journey
%26bull; Readers’ comments
%26bull; Dramatic images of fire
Hero firefighter’s funeral
Mr Lovell and seven fellow firefighters were caught in a blast which ripped through a Hamilton coolstore on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Lovell died that night - about the time he was due to be presented with his gold star for 25 years of service.
Mr Lovells casket arrived at Hamiltons Te Rapa racecourse on the back of a vintage fire appliance and as 400 uniformed firefighters stood to attention, he was carried into the centennial room where hundreds of mourners included family members, firefighters, health professionals, emergency workers and members of the public.
As the service was about to begin his yellow helmet was placed on top of his casket as some of his badly injured colleagues lay on hospital stretchers, determined to be there for the final farewell to a man described by his boss as a matter of fact bloke and a very professional firefighter.
Methodist minister Lindsay Cumberpatch said his death had touched everyone.
No greater love has anyone but to lay down their life for their friends, he said.
He said everyone was in awe of the courage of Mr Lovells wife Milli and six of the injured firefighters at the funeral.
We are in awe of your courage and your strength and we wish you well in your ongoing recovery.
He said it was a wonderful mark of respect for their boss that the injured firefighters had left their hospital wards to be at the funeral.
Mr Cumberpatch also spoke of Merv Neil, the firefighter in the national burns unit at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland who was having an operation as the funeral service began. Mr Neil was burnt over 71 percent of his body when the Icepak cool store at Tamahere on the southern outskirts of Hamilton exploded.
Hamiltons chief fire officer Gary Talbot said Derek Lovells death in the line of duty would not be in vain.
We will honour your sacrifice, he said, looking directly at the casket.
Dereks brother Chris said they wondered what Derek would say as they read the tributes and experienced support from around New Zealand and around the world.
He would probably say `I am just an ordinary bloke doing a job, he said.
He was selfless, dedicated and gave of himself unconditionally, said Chris Lovell.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Hamilton for the funeral service.
Waikato Times reporter Belinda Feek said the streets near the Hamilton Central Fire Station were %26ldquo;scarily silent%26rdquo; as the funeral procession began.
%26ldquo;Many people were just standing in awe at what they were seeing - there were also a few tears,%26rdquo; she said.
Ms Feek said it appeared some people had taken the day off work to pay their respects to Mr Lovell, while others witnessed the procession during their lunch break.
Many people had also come from outside Hamilton to see Mr Lovell%26rsquo;s final journey.
A loud siren sounded before the 1938 vintage fire engine carrying Mr Lovell%26rsquo;s body left the Anglesea Street station. Mr Lovell%26rsquo;s family walked ahead of the engine and were greeted by a 17-firemen-strong haka.
About five firemen travelled on board the engine with Mr Lovell%26rsquo;s casket.
Over a dozen fire appliances loaded with firemen took part in the procession including Mr Lovell%26rsquo;s workmate Blair Fothergill who was discharged from hospital following the Tamahere blaze.
The firefighters were allin full ceremonial uniform, a rare sight reserved for occasions in which firefighters honour their own.
Over 50 police officers did a guard of honour for Mr Lovell as the truck left the station, and then followed the engine in their police cars.
It is believed some of Mr Lovell%26rsquo;s colleagues who were injured in the blaze were in the five ambulances that took part in the ceremony.
The procession was led by Waikato chief fire commander Roy Breeze and Hamilton City Fire chief Gary Talbot.
Yesterday fire service chiefs were not sure how many people would turn up for the funeral but they planned for at least 1000. The racecourses Centennial Lounge seats 750 and a big screen had been erected for those who could not fit inside.
Five of Mr Lovells Red Watch colleagues have a special section reserved for them. They are the injured firefighters who are still recovering in Waikato Hospital and they will either be in beds or wheelchairs for the service.
Rev Lindsay Cumberpatch was to take the service and among the speakers is Mr Lovells brother Chris, who has returned from France, and firefighters Brian White and Blair Fothergill.
Poems written by pupils of Tamahere School, which is next to the coolstore, were also to be read out.
Mr Lovells wife Milli was to be given Mr Lovells gold star, marking 25 years of service and atop his coffin was to be a New Zealand flag and Mr Lovells firefighting helmet.
This morning firemen at Hamilton Central Fire Station exchanged hugsand toldlittle jokes to ease the strain, but a few tears were shed between the men.
Around them a montage of colourful flowers, cards, letters and drawings from across the country decorated the front of the station, while members of the public slowly began to drift in to shake hands and share the emotional burden.
A hole in the station floor had been smoothed over with new concrete in preparation for the influx of visitors, and carved into the new patch were the words: SSO Derek Lovell worked here.
Across the road Ebbett Holden made a line of black cars at its fence and the bottom floor of a nearby parking building was reserved for fire service visitors.
Mr Lovells best mate and colleague, Mr Fothergill, talked of a hunting pal who was a smiling man.
The pair were meant to go on another hunting trip next Tuesday. Instead Mr Fothergill was now a pallbearer at his friends funeral. He had about three hours sleep last night but was relieved to see the sun was shining.
Mr Fothergill said the outpouring of support from Hamilton and the rest of the country had made the loss easier to cope with.
Its just the little things. I had a lady ring me at home the other night and ask if she could read me a poem. Its so cool. People have been wonderful. He said the fire service was humbled.
Dignitaries including Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker were to attend the funeral while fire service personnel from Australia also made a special trip to pay their last respects.
One of those was a firefighter from Adelaide, where Mr Lovell and his seven injured colleagues, underwent training at the Clipsal 500 in February for next weekends Hamilton 400 V8 Supercar series.
Members of his Red Watch squad were scheduled to provide emergency cover during the V8s race on April 18-20, along with about 100 other Waikato and Bay of Plenty firemen.
- With NZPA
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Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 7:53 pm under