When disaster strikes, there’s a special kind of person who races in when everyone else is trying to get away from the danger.

We’re used to the everyday acts of heroism from emergency services like the fire service, and police officers – but in the modern world, getting the right message for help out in time is just as important.

For Lise Mackie who’s part of Vodafone New Zealand’s Instant Network team, that lesson was thrown into stark relief one year ago this month when Cyclone Winston ripped through Fiji, devastating its outer islands.

She was the team leader of a small team of Vodafone volunteers, specially trained to deploy emergency communication systems to quickly establish phone and Wi-Fi services quickly in areas with the most need.

She still thinks about the scene that greeted them arriving at the outer island of Vanua Balavu.

“What we weren’t prepared for, in addition to the extent of the widespread damage, was that we were the first to offer any kind of aid from the outside world. We were the local’s first source of news about what had happened to the rest of Fiji. They all knew what had happened to their own island but they had had no news of anything wider as they just had no way of communicating,” Lise said.

The team swung into action, establishing satellite telecommunication links as quickly as possible with the specially designed portable equipment they took with them.

“A few days into the deployment there was a moment when it hit me just how critical having communication is and how the context of a situation turns the ordinary into extraordinary. We use social media every day to update mundane stuff, but the aftermath of Cyclone Winston ramped everything up a huge notch. People were now using social media to let family members and friends all over the world know they were alive, or that their house was gone,” Lise added.

It also meant other emergency response teams tasked with co-ordinating the relief and rebuild effort could get things moving in the right direction.

“Data really is now just as critical as voice calls. Yes, for families it’s still really important to hear their loved one’s voice, but for responders like the Fijian Army and the New Zealand Defence Force, which came in to support communities, it’s about being able to send emails, photos, video, spreadsheets – where water is needed, for example, or how severely damaged the port was.

“The New Zealand Fire Service’s Urban Search and Rescue team were conducting building integrity audits on the island. Having access to our Wi-Fi meant they could send really in-depth, technical information that can only really be accurately conveyed through data and not over the phone. For locals it also means businesses like banks can start trading, people can get money and pay for food and petrol, begin to rebuild their life,” Lise said.

Team member Callum Ferguson was on his first deployment.

While he’d seen photos of what to expect, hearing the Vanua Balavu villagers’ stories made everything real.

“It was just incredibly scary for the people when it struck. With the sea surges, they had fish and sea snakes in their houses. When we landed things were wrecked, but people were still carrying on, trying to keep going.

“The local doctor had opened his house to those who’d lost their own – he took us in as well. People were so open and appreciated what we were doing, as soon as we said o.k now you can make calls, to see their excitement it was just a really lovely feeling, you saw what an impact it had,” Callum said.

It’s the kind of experience that can leave a big impact on everyone’s lives – including those on the Instant Network team.

For Callum the ties live on. He exchanges regular phone calls with the local doctor, and brought his three children on a visit back to Vanua Balavu six months later to see where Dad had been, and who he’d been helping.

“You do keep that place in your heart. For my kids seeing this remote village, and the culture where everyone pulls together and is grateful for what is given, it’s an amazing experience,” he added.

Those on the Instant Network team dropped everything in their everyday normal working lives to go, within hours of being asked to help.

“It’s about us being great neighbours. If someone needs help, it’s the right thing to do,” Lise said.

“You learn so much. Each deployment makes us a better unit, improvising with equipment, learning from the culture you’re in. Would I be happy to be called up again? I’d go at the drop of a hat,” Callum added.