Fire and Rescue NSW at Wangi Wangi is seeking two retained firefighters to join its ranks

It was last year, and deputy captain of the Fire and Rescue NSW station at Wangi Wangi, Glenn Swift, reckons his brigade won’t forget the day any time soon.

“We did get this one call… It was from a man whose rather expensive stunt kite had become lodged high in the canopy of a tree,” Deputy Captain Swift said.

The brigade responded and rescued the kite, much to the relief of the slightly embarrassed pilot.

“When your pager goes off, you never know what sort of job you’re being called out to,” he said.

Deputy Captain Swift is among the brigade of 14 retained fire fighters at Wangi Wangi who are seeking two new recruits.

Retained firefighters are not rostered on duty. Instead, they are on call, and notified of an emergency incident by pager or a phone call.

It means they’ll leave their work or family commitments, or social life, to join their team and respond to the emergency.

Deputy Captain Swift said retained firefighters come from all walks of life – including stay-at-home parents, retirees, and shift workers – but they all share common traits.

“They are men and women who have good daytime availability, and who are enthusiastic and willing to learn about providing an essential service for their community,” he said.

The Wangi brigade includes four women. The brigade members range in age from 20s to 60s. They respond to structure fires (such as the recent fire lit inside Wangi power station) and bushfires (such as the blaze that threatened homes at Buttaba last year), as well as rescues, road accidents, and incidents involving hazardous materials.

Deputy Captain Swift said it can be dangerous and stressful work, but immensely rewarding.

“We’re often meeting people who are having the worst day of their lives,” he said.

“But with that comes a great deal of personal satisfaction in knowing we’ve helped somebody in their hour of need.”

Retained firefighters receive a retainer – a fortnightly payment of $66 – and get paid $31 per hour for responding to incidents.