Highlights
- Lodge an expression of interest with your local brigade
- Operational and non-operational roles
- Fighting massive bushfires takes six to twelve months of training
According to the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), the peak body for fire and emergency service, the 2019–20 bushfires have seen the largest coordinated interstate deployment of fire and emergency personnel by far.
Over 17 million hectares had been burned across the country. It was unprecedented.
So, how do you become one of these real-life national heroes?
Expression of interest
First, you need to lodge an expression of interest with your local volunteer brigade.
Captain Phill Townsend volunteers for the Country Fire Authority (CFA), at Keysborough Fire Brigade in Victoria.
He says approaching the brigade to give your expressions of interest is a straightforward process through the internet.
Or you can always visit your local fire station.
Come down for a bit of a talk, and if you are successful, within a month you’ll be able to start some training.
CFA training exercise Source: Getty Images/D. Clarke Photography
The type of your involvement will be determined by your skillset, commitment and your ability to cope.
CFA’s Captain Phill Townsend says the training process has changed due to the pandemic.
Now due to COVID, we are actually doing a computer-based module but there still is some practical aspect of the course.
Operational and non-operational roles
Firefighters are operational volunteers.
AFAC’s chief executive officer, Stuart Ellis, says brigades also need volunteers with different set of skills for support or non-operational roles.
Firefighter attending grass fire in Victoria. Source: Getty Images/James Lauritz
There’s a range of support and administration capacity, radio operators and coordination personnel that every volunteer fire brigade needs.
CFA’s 1st Lieutenant, Stewart Matulis followed his father’s footsteps and became a volunteer firefighter 16 years ago.
He says it is important for a brigade to be able to serve its community in a culturally sensitive manner.
So, going out and talking to children at school, talking to community events, spreading fire safety messages is also something you can do.
CFA’s Captain, Phill Townsend, agrees.
I actually have some people on the truck that can talk some other language. That is so helpful.
CFA’s 1st Lieutenant, Stewart Matulis says operational volunteers can also undertake non-operational roles.
We also look at the road cars rescue, and also some of the more light-hearted stuff like assisting with animal rescue
Source: Getty Images/Chris Beavon
Family support
French-born fly-in fly-out worker Virginie Eastwood is a mother of two young boys.
She is also a volunteer firefighter with Queensland’s Mount Kilcoy-Sandy Creek rural fire brigade.
I’m living in a rural area, no access to a babysitter, so always have friends where I can drop off the kids. If I can’t go, my husband will go.
CFA’s 1st Lieutenant, Stewart Matulis, believes family support is important to become a volunteer firefighter.
You are away from your family for long periods of time, so you need the support of people around you to let you do what you have to do.
Dangerous and potentially life-threatening situations are part of being an operational volunteer, but CFA’s Captain, Phill Townsend says, new recruits don’t jump immediately on a truck.
I wouldn’t be letting a brand-new recruit on a back of a truck for massive bushfires, that takes six to twelve months.
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سيارة اطفاء Source: Getty Images/Nigel Killeen