Nadine Hyslop is a new firefighter for Fire & Rescue NSW Lakemba brigade
NADINE Hyslop has always loved helping people. She started as a surf lifesaver and is now the new recruit for the Fire & Rescue NSW Lakemba brigade.
The Express
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NADINE Hyslop is one of those people who loves helping others and saving lives.
In fact she has been doing it all her life, as long as she remembers.
Mrs Hyslop, a surf lifesaver since she was very young, is now using those skills and training in her career-defining change of jobs as a firefighter.
The 44-year-old mother of two, one of the several new graduates who were inducted into Fire & Rescue NSW recently, will join the Lakemba brigade at the end of the month.
Mrs Hyslop said even the long drive from Wollongong, is no big deal when she thinks of her new digs in the Canterbury Bankstown area.
“Workwise this a big change for me but because I have been a surf lifesaver all my life, it’s something I am passionate about,” Mrs Hyslop said.
“In my previous job I drove a lot because I was the sales territory manager so coming to Lakemba is not a big deal travelwise.”
“I come from a long line of surf lifesavers and have been involved with it since I was a small child.
“That’s how I met my husband Craig and now our two children, Madeline (10) and Xander (8) are life savers too.
“My family is 110 per cent supportive of my career change and in fact it was my husband who suggested that I should apply so I thought I would give it a go.
“I have always wanted to serve the community and think becoming a firefighter is my calling.
“However, it took a long process to get into Fire & Rescue NSW because I applied in May 2016.
“I kept getting through all the processes and it was very tough because more than 8000 applied and only 120 were chosen.
“There was no one hard part of training but it was the volume of training that we had to learn.
“From the outside you think only about the fire but once you are training, you come to understand the dynamics of fires, not to think like a robot ... it’s all very strategic.”
Mrs Hyslop said she is also able to use the experience of her previous job to adapt and understand people, “because in that job too, every day was different”.
She is thrilled to be working with the Lakemba brigade.
“I have heard they have a fantastic crew and is like a well knit family,” Mrs Hyslop said.
“I am still involved in sports, taking part in surf boat racing for more than 20 years and also into crossfitness.”
Meanwhile, Philip Eddey will join the Cambramatta crew at the end of the month.