Firefighter, NSW

Charles Begley started his working life as a sparkie before he realised it just didn’t light his fire. So he decided to do something about it and become a firefighter.

The role of a firefighter ranges from putting out fires to decontamination and pet rescue.

Begley and his team have been involved in major operations but have also had their fair share of helping kids with fingers caught in swing sets, as well as easing out little toes stuck in plug-holes.

Firefighters also deal with chemical spills and hazardous materials, such as chemical and biological hazards and decontamination, and in recent years have stepped up their anti-terrorism training.

“We are trained to anticipate that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong,” he says.

In his 20-odd years in the NSW Fire Brigade, Begley has worked for the City of Sydney, Narrabeen and Crows Nest fire stations as well as relieving firefighters on the Northern Beaches. He has been based at Eastwood for the past two years as a station commander.

Begley says firefighters are constantly updating training regimes and participate in daily exercises to ensure they are well-prepared in an emergency situation.

“We go to a lot of fairly traumatic rescues,” he says.

“We had one incident recently where there were three people trapped in a car and subsequently one of them died. That’s always a bit hard to take when you have done such a good job and worked so hard to get them out, and you find out that they have died. It’s really sad.”

To deal with any traumatic situations the firefighters are faced with, the brigade has a debrief session to discuss the situation. The debrief acts as a counselling session that can be held as either a group or private session.

“Part of my responsibility is to make sure everyone is OK or find out if anyone has problems, and also read the body language and see how a person’s performance may be affected,” Begley says.

“We don’t always have to be tough and macho all the time.”

He has also been involved in fire education, teaching primary schoolchildren about the importance of fire safety.

“The children look at the equipment and talk to the fireman,” he says. “It is a combination of fun and learning at the same time.”

Firefighters start as probationary firefighters, then progress though the ranks. The first four years of training, Begley says, are similar to an apprenticeship.

“It’s a very worthwhile career if you like helping people, and you are community spirited, if you like the camaraderie of working in a pretty tight-knit team – and if you like the potential for a bit of excitement then it is great,” he says.

How to be … a firefighter
Requirements are sitting an entrance exam and physical and medical assessment. All training is provided by the NSW Fire Brigade. For information contact the NSW Fire Brigade on 92652999 or log on to visit www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au