How long have you been with this brigade?
Eight years.
Why did you join CFA?
I was running the local paper, and reporting on the CFA incidents as they happened. I got to know local brigade members this way, and they encouraged me to join. They were short on firefighters during the day, and soon had me in the role of secretary as well as on the back of the truck.
Being a volunteer gives me another family, a group of people that has the same values and ideals as I do. I’m very glad I joined. We have had a lot of fun inbetween the hard times and I really enjoy spending time with them.
What was the first incident you attended?
A header and stubble fire. I still think it was the hottest and fiercest fire I’ve ever attended.
Which incident has had the greatest impact on you?
Many have impacted me in different ways, but last year was awful for our whole brigade. We had six fatalities in five months in four incidents, something we hadn’t seen before and no one ever wants to see again.
The brigade was called to another incident some years ago, I helped out with comms that night, and gave birth to our first child hours later. The incident itself wasn’t memorable, but the hours that followed were!
What have you done around your home to prevent fires?
We keep the yard clear and grass low, and try to keep the lawn and gardens green.
What do you do when you’re not firefighting?
I’m a wife, mother, and freelance journalist and photographer. I enjoy spending time with my children, helping out at the school and kinder and with their activities. I’m not able to fight fires as often as I could before, but now the kids and I go to fires to report on them for the local online newspaper.
I took a step back from firefighting in 2005 when our son was born. But just prior to this, I signed my husband up. He’s now second lieutenant and is enjoying brigade life. Both our kids are completely as ease at the station and with the emergency services. Our son wants to be a firefighter when he grows up!
Our volunteers are a varied lot, but it works so well. Lately, we’ve gone through a lot of grief and tough times, but this has given us all something in common and brought us closer together.
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