WHEN John Wood moved to Illawong in 1966, his neighbour popped over to tell him that those who lived in the area were expected to join the volunteer Illawong Bush Fire Brigade.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He has served with the Rural Fire Service (RFS) ever since.
Mr Wood said before there were shops or major developments, the station was the centre of the community.
Members wrote a weekly newsletter and it was a place people would drop in to on a Friday night for a barbecue and to play table tennis.
‘‘It didn’t matter if you were a uni professor or sold chips at the fish and chip shop; we were all part of a team who worked together,’’ Mr Wood said.
He captained the Illawong brigade until 1996 and ran a district-wide training program before moving to the position of Sutherland district manager.
He recalls leading a team on the western side of the Woronora River during the 1994 bushfires.
‘‘No matter how we tried we couldn’t stop that fire.’’
As an incident commander he helped during the shire’s last major bushfire, in 2002, from Alfords Point to Menai.
‘‘I also remember the sad times when firefighters lost their lives at Grays Point and Waterfall, which we can never forget,’’ he said.
Mr Wood said the RFS could never survive without the help of Sutherland Shire Council and its members.
‘‘The RFS an organisation where people just give and don’t ask for anything in return.’’
GROUP’S 500 YEARS
A GROUP of 23 RFS members were recently awarded long service medals for nearly 500 years of combined service in Sutherland Shire.
The volunteers were recognised for their help in fighting fires, attending accidents and helping during national emergencies, such as the NSW floods earlier this year.
NSW RFS Assistant Commissioner Dominic Lane also thanked six members, who received medals for more than 30 years of service at a ceremony in Sutherland.
‘‘The Sutherland Shire has benefited from more than 55 years of NSW RFS protection. Its location on the southern coastal border of Sydney, and the high volume of bush in the area means fires in the shire are often high profile,’’ Assistant Commissioner Lane said.
‘‘It is important [members] know their commitment and dedication is deeply appreciated.’’
‘It didn’t matter if you were a uni professor or sold chips’.
List of medal recipients from the presentation held on May 26.
Michael Harvey 14 years, Long Service Medal Loftus Brigade
Ron Short 26 years, Long Service Medal Loftus Brigade
Michael Cook 22 years, Long Service Medal & 1st Clasp Communications Brigade
Bruce Angus 22 years, Long Service Medal & 1st Clasp Illawong Brigade
Ian Kemp 23 years, Long Service Medal & 1st Clasp Grays Point Brigade
Naomi McCabe 24 years, Long Service Medal & 1st Clasp Communications Brigade
Thomas McCabe 26 years, Long Service Medal & 1st Clasp Communications Brigade
Gregory Ray 30 years, Long Service Medal & 1st Clasp Heathcote-Headquarters Brigade
Andrew Pinfold 30 years, Long Service Medal 2nd Clasp Mt Keira Brigade and Sutherland Shire Fire Control Centre
Robert Tito 31 years, Long Service Medal & 1st & 2nd Clasp Heathcote-Headquarters Brigade
John Wood 43 years, Long Service Medal & 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Clasp Illawong Brigade and Sutherland Shire Fire Control Centre
Harold Wilson 52 years, Long Service Medal & 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Clasp Engadine Brigade
