Meet the Kurrajong kids putting their lives on the line to serve in the Rural Fire Service

More than 1300 under-18s have signed up to protect their communities from bushfire with the Rural Fire Service. Meet some of the kids putting their lives on the line.

Living on the lower slopes of the Blue Mountains with a swathe of bushland known as The Devils Wilderness on his doorstep, 17-year-old Flyn Morgan was preparing to start high school when the Gospers Mountain bushfire came barrelling towards his town.

The million-hectare “mega-fire” which burned for 15 weeks between 2019 and 2020 was one the most catastrophic events of Black Summer, and was, in turn, the ignition point for young men and women like Flyn to sign up for the Rural Fire Service’s high school cadet program.

“Because I live in Bowen Mountain, it came quite close to impacting our area, so my family evacuated – those big fires, they definitely make you want to help out,” the Year 12 student said.

“(I’m) obviously just hoping that we don’t have another thing like that, but if we do … I know that, being part of the RFS, that we’re pretty well prepared.”

Two years after completing the Secondary Schools Cadet program at Colo High School, Flyn and classmate Alex Carpenter are now fully-fledged members of their local brigades – Grose Vale and Kurrajong respectively – and have each spent time on firegrounds, from working on hazard reduction in the bush to extinguishing vehicle fires in the local area.

Riley Munro, Flyn Morgan (Grose Vale brigade), Michael Buckett and Finn McKinnon. At 17 years old Flyn is a fully accredited member of his local brigade, while his three younger classmates at Colo High School are undergoing basic training at Kurrajong. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Black Summer “made me look at the RFS differently, and want to join even more,” North Richmond resident Alex said.

“I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter since I was in primary school, and I enjoy helping people and volunteering my time, so it was a good fit.”

Flyn Morgan from the Grose Vale RFS Brigade extinguishing a relit hazard reduction burn. Picture: Supplied

Alex Carpenter from Kurrajong RFS on the fireground. Picture: Supplied

The pair are now training the latest fleet of graduates – five younger classmates who are now themselves working their way towards basic firefighter accreditation.

Among them are 16-year-old Michael Buckett, who is becoming a fourth generation firefighter and counts one of the founding members of the Kurrajong brigade among his family members, and Year 10 classmate Finn McKinnon.

“I love volunteer organisations – my dad was a member of the RFS, and my sister was too. It’s a big family thing for me,” Finn said.

“I just really enjoy giving back to the community that’s kept us safe.”

The four teen firefighters are especially keen to give back to the RFS after the Black Summer bushfires. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The RFS is beginning the year with more than 1360 junior members among the ranks, a number that has slowly ticked up over the past two years, including volunteers as young as 12. Junior members are allowed to respond to incidents from the age of 16.

More than 12,800 students have completed the Secondary School Cadet program, which focuses on fire safety and prevention rather than active firefighting skills, since it began 20 years ago, including 670 who graduated in 2024.

Hawkesbury District cadet co-ordinator Phil Hurst said it’s a point of pride knowing several of the region’s deputy captains were once trainees in the program, and said the Rural Fire Service needs all the young blood it can get.

“In the RFS there’s a big proportion of us who are well and truly retirement age, and it’s getting worse,” he said.

“The average age of an RFS member is getting older, so … the more we can encourage the younger guys to come through (the better).”