Jack Zorab took over from Greg Harper as Chief Fire Officer last month.
CFO Zorab said it was a "big privilege" to lead the brigade.
He has been with the Omarama brigade for almost a decade and was made deputy just before Christmas last year.
His role was all about empowering the brigade to continue doing "pretty incredible things".
"All of our volunteers are just regular people. They’re farmers, they’re office workers, they’re hospitality.
"It’s just about enabling those volunteers to continue doing that. Making it as easy as possible to volunteer, making sure their families feel at home on station, making sure their employers feel appreciated for all their support."
One of his main goals was to get the brigade "future fit and ready for what the future is going to throw at us".
"The alpine fault is always playing on our mind, and not just that but any sort of large-scale emergency.
"Our call numbers are increasing over the years. The risk profile of Omarama is different to a lot of brigades. We do a lot of medical calls, the vegetation risk here is high."
CFO Zorab moved to New Zealand from Buckinghamshire in England 11 years ago and joined the brigade when he moved to Omarama not long after that.
"About nine months after being here I wanted to get involved in something and get out and about a bit, so I joined and went from there.
"By that time, I kind of realised that Omarama was going to be my home and so it’s just nice to be able to give something back to the place that had given me a home and a sense of belonging."
The recruitment process for a new deputy was open and CFO Zorab hoped to have one appointed by June.
