Goodwood firefighter Richard Greatorex nominated for Local Hero award
A rural firey who survived a terrible accident and three decades fighting bushfires has been nominated for the Royal Flying Doctor Services 2022 Local Hero award. Here’s why:
Bundaberg
Don't miss out on the headlines from Bundaberg. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A terrible motorbike accident did not slow Goodwood welder Richard Greatorex down one bit.
In fact, his ongoing service to his community has now results in his nomination for the 2022 Royal Flying Doctor Local Hero Award.
Mr Greatorex is First Officer at the Goodwood Rural Fire Brigade near Bundaberg, and one of 10 Queensland first responders short-listed for the prestigious award.
A humble hero, Mr Greatorex said it was his “reluctant leadership” that got him the nomination.
“I got a certificate in the mail saying congratulations you’ve been nominated,” he said.
“I’m fairly quiet and keep a low profile, so I just chucked it in the cupboard draw.”
Mr Greatorex remains unsure who nominated him for the prestigious award, which gives winners $20,000 to the charity of their choice. If Mr Greatorex wins, that prize money will got to refurbishing the Goodwood Fire Brigade station.
After almost three decades in the volunteer brigade, and one of its founding members, Mr Greatorex said the nomination was humbling.
“You don’t go into voluntary stuff for the recognition, there are plenty of people who are just as deserving,” he said.
His journey in the brigade began in 1995, when he came home one day to find the SES parked at the front gate of his Woodgate home.
The SES told Mr Greatorex he needed to pack up and evacuate his home, one he had only recently purchased.
A huge fire front was coming through, and the SES didn’t have the tools to keep the fire from possibly destroying his home.
“There was no rural fire brigade at the time. Childers had a fire brigade but it was run by the cane growers and the council,” he said.
After almost losing his home, he and his neighbours decided it was high time Goodwood had its own fire brigade.
“To start it was a just a car and trailer with a bit of water on the back attached to a pump, and hand tools. When I started in the Rural Fire Service, it was pretty primitive,” Mr Greatorex said.
Steady upgrades came through grants, hand-me-downs from existing fire brigades and fundraising. The Goodwood brigade now has two water trucks and a ute for its members.
These upgrades kept Mr Greatorex out of danger, with one of his scariest moments including driving through a wall of fire and smoke to get to safety.
A recent Christmas party had been interrupted by a callout after a lightning strike started a fire in the national park.
The fire spread quickly and was making its way towards the Goodwood pet motel.
“Childers fire brigade and a couple of fire brigades were there, and they already had a bulldozer on the way and a helicopter bombing it,” he said.
He arrived with his team, and quickly hatched a plan to access what proved to be a very inaccessible fire due to the deep sand of the national park.
Mr Greatorex and his team were sent to stop the fire from reaching a pine tree plantation, and found themselves stuck between fires spotting all over the place from ashes blowing in the wind.
“So we light this patch of bush up to protect the pine forest and I just looked up and I said ‘we gotta get out of here.
“We ended up driving through a wall of flame that came across and cut us off by the time we got mobile, we couldn’t stop.”
It was the overhead sprinklers raining down on the truck that got them through safely.
Mr Greatorex hopes possible funding from this award will allow the brigade to invest in better callout systems, as team numbers are limited during the busy cane crushing season.
With a lot of fires being intentionally lit by people with matches, sometimes the crews finds themselves spread thin.
Mr Greatorex has no plans of slowing down with his volunteer work, and said he hopes he can keep supporting the local fire services where he and his team can.
“We got anywhere they need it, we want to help anyone we can and save whatever is at threat.”
‘Could have bought a unit’: $311,000 highway party price tag slammed
The Transport Minister has confirmed that a five-hour community open day to celebrate the near completion of the $1B Bruce Highway bypass of Gympie cost more than $311,000, or the equivalent of about $60,000 an hour.
Qld queen of big screen who won Hoges’ heartfelt thanks dies
A Queensland cinema pioneer who helped shatter the glass ceiling for women in the industry has died, leaving a legacy which included a telegram from Paul Hogan and launches featuring the likes of Jack Thompson and Susannah York.