The annual International Firefighters Day Memorial was held at the Firefighters Memorial Grove in Kings Park Perth W.A. on Sunday 3 May.
Families, friends and colleagues came together to pay their respects and honour firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty.
The striking red of the vintage fire trucks and appliances surrounded the memorial and the newly formed Western Australia Fire and Emergency Services Concert Band began to play as guests took their seats.
During the ceremony Commissioner Wayne Gregson recognised the devotion firefighters have for the community.
Being on the emergency services frontline brings a special kind of reward to those who commit to it. And it takes a special kind of person to make that commitment to drop everything when needed and to help others, Commissioner Gregson said.
It is that selflessness and can do spirit that is so deeply ingrained in our DNA that sees us here today, recognising and remembering dedicated Australians who committed their life to answering the call for help, and in doing so, tragically made the ultimate sacrifice.
As the names of the fallen were called and the brass bell sounded, the crowd was in silent memory of their loved ones.
Chief Superintendent Brad Delavale spoke of the importance of the Firefighters Memorial Grove as a place of reflection and contemplation for families and the community.
NSW also had a do for Volunteer Firefighters on international Firefighters day and awards were given out by the Commissioner for those that fought the 2013 fires in the Blue Mountains but unfortunately there were no awards given out to people below Captain level but the rest of us do get a lot of satisfaction from doing the job for our community.
Aussietraveller NSW Volunteer Firie
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NSW also had a do for Volunteer Firefighters on international Firefighters day and awards were given out by the Commissioner for those that fought the 2013 fires in the Blue Mountains but unfortunately there were no awards given out to people below Captain level but the rest of us do get a lot of satisfaction from doing the job for our community.
Aussietraveller NSW Volunteer Firie
G'day Aussietraveller, It appears that we were treated much the same in respect to who received awards, it always seemed to be the same people who got something to show for the efforts of the whole Brigade.
The local Shire would put on a dinner for the Brigade once a year, this at times left something to be desired, but at least it was something for the hundreds of hours we spent chasing Bush Fires all over the country,
I recall on one particular weekend, my pager went off while I was still at work on a Friday afternoon around 2.00pm, I responded to the call and eventually got home in the small hours of the following Monday, luckily at that time, I was working for the Government and they had a policy of paying all Volunteers full wagers while doing emergency work, even though I was dead to the world in bed at home and never fronted up back on the job for a couple of days after that weekend, like you, we got a great deal of satisfaction out of doing this job and saving the Community un-known thousands of dollars in saved Property.
K.J.
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From Coast to Coast, We'll see it all.......One Day
I suspect its the same in all states and in NSW I suspect that they would have some difficulty selecting who to honour from the 77000 Volunteers but it would be great if they occasionally tried to recognise a firefighter who didn't hold rank, although we do get the National Medal after 15 years of meritorious service so I shouldn't complain.
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Life was meant to be enjoyed Australia was meant to be explored
Happily doing both to the Max.
Life is like a camera, focus on what's important & you will capture it every Time
Over 25 years service, holder of my National Service medal & the Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service medal & long service medals, I've held multiple officers positions in several stations around WA & i wear my ex captains epaulettes with pride, I have the greatest respect for those that still serve & have known personally some of those names called on the day, however im one of the ones that have been injured out of the game on the fire ground & left to fend for myself by DFES.
Honours & recognition are appreciated by all, but practical & financial help to those like myself who have lost everything in my service to the community, promising career, future earnings, house, health & a lifetime of savings, even lost a wife of 25 years, but I now consider that a positive thing.
Not something I worried about during all those thousands of jobs over the years dealing with the best & worst of everything, but being thrown to the sharks of government insurance was the last blow dealt me by the fire service.
All I can say is all volunteers is TAKE OUT YOUR OWN income protection insurance with someone like your super fund so you don't end up with nothing, it take's just a split second for your life plan to completely unravel before your eyes.
I'm not bitter & twisted, I have a very positive outlook on life, just really pissed off with the way many volunteers are treated.
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The government cannot give anything to anybody that the Government does not first take from somebody else.
G'day Doo crew, I can sympathise with you in the way you were treated by the system after being injured on the Fire ground,
A similar thing happened to me, although I wasn't injured on the fire ground, I was treated like muck, and as a result left the Brigade with the feeling that I had just wasted many years of my life trying to help the Community and then getting kicked in the face when I realised I was getting too old to keep up the pace,
In my case, when I realised that things were starting to slow me down, I approached the Brigade C.E.O. and told him I was almost at the end my career, but just shy of obtaining my long service Certificate, I asked him if it would be possible to get the certificate slightly ahead of time as it would the last award that I would be likely to achieve in my remaining years.
Upon listening to me. he then broke out in laughter and said, "The years you have done are nothing, double that and I will think of giving you something:"!! .
Well that was that, after all the years of helping out, covering other people in doing double shifts, and being called out even when not on roster , all for nothing and to be laughed at in my face was the end for me, they got all my protective gear back on the spot and I walked away thinking of all the things I could have been doing with the Family instead of giving them worry, every time the pager went off .
I did receive a couple of visits from the Captain of the Brigade, after I left and he was shocked by he way I was treated, he offered me a position back with the Brigade at a higher grade if I was to return but, I said no thanks, I'd had enough and that was the end of it.
K.J.
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From Coast to Coast, We'll see it all.......One Day
