Mining worker and volunteer firefighter battles Beerwah bushfire on off-week
As a blaze at Beerwah continues to burn a FIFO-mining worker and volunteer fire brigade member is spending his week off fighting fires.
Sunshine Coast
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A FIFO mining worker is spending his week off on the frontline as one of the many volunteers helping fight the huge blaze at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast.
When Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade officer Jack Cain is not hosing out fires, the Aura resident works as a driller in the mines.
Described as being dedicated to the community, the 30-year-old sees it as his duty to help out where he can.
“I’m pretty dedicated to the Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade,” Mr Cain said.
“I just like being there for the community and helping people out.
“There is nothing better than when you go up to someone and they can see you there to help them and you just do your best to help everyone in the community.
“It’s more or less about just giving back to the community.”
A volunteer of four years with the Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade, Mr Cain said firefighters with the brigade perform many different tasks.
“We have our monthly meetings, then training, as well as attend fire calls within the Beerwah district,” he added.
“We defend our own patch, but we also go to other places if need be.
“Not only do we respond in emergency situations, we also help the community with hazard reduction burns, and also help land owners with big stack burns.
“As well as fires we respond in any situation where we are required such as storms and floods.
“We do everything down to cleaning trucks back at the station.”
Mr Cain encouraged people in the community with a calling to help others to come down to the station.
“I just think if anyone is sitting at home and you know they want to join, just come down to the station,” he said.
“We have our monthly meeting at the station, come and see what it‘s like.
“All of us at the brigade want the same result at the end of the day, and that’s to be there for the community when we need to be, like at the moment.”
His encouragement for new recruits comes following an admission from a Rural Fire Service Queenslander whistleblower that volunteers may struggle to cope with the upcoming bushfire season.
While on a visit to the Sunshine Coast for a road opening, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk faced questions over rural firefighter numbers, stating that the rural fire service had about 25,000 members and about 3000 full-time firefighters.
The Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade meets on the first Wednesday of every month at the station on Roys Road.
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