Fire and Rescue NSW gift registry: The gifts and donations firies have to hand back, refuse or destroy

From a carton of VB, to footy tickets and wine, our fireys have been showered with gifts – but it’s rare they’ll even get to enjoy generous offerings with strict rules in place. See the list.

Firefighters in NSW are showered with gifts and donations but a lot have to be refused, handed back or donated to charity. Pics by Julian Andrews.

They save countless lives, are dedicated at what they do and are hard-working to keep us safe everyday.

So it seems rightly so that our firefighters are showered with gifts and donations every year for the great work they do.

Whether it be a carton of beer, a top drop, chocolates or even tickets to the footy, a number of generous people just want to say thanks for a job well done.

But what most don’t know is that a lot of the gifts we’re happily handing over to our brave men and woman are having to be either refused, handed back or put up for charity.

A Fire and Rescue NSW gift, benefit and hospitality register for 2022/2023 has revealed that a majority of donations are unfortunately not going to those who we intended it for.

Firies in NSW have had to refuse a number of gifts including bottles of wine, footy tickets and gift cards. NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

A carton of VB was left at a fire station but it had to be returned.

In August last year, a leading firefighter in the regional north area was gifted $50 for completing a home fire safety check, but that was denied, while a case of six Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz bottles worth $240 was handed over to a metropolitan south area fire crew in November, only for that to be returned.

The long list of declined or returned gifts also includes discounted tickets for staff members to an A-League match and a Socceroos v Ecuador match which was played in March, numerous gift cards and even Qantas frequent flyer points.

A carton of VB left at a regional north fire station had to be returned, an offer to donate catering for an official event was also declined, while a $50 Bunnings voucher in thanks for a home fire safety presentation was initially accepted “so as not to cause embarrassment” only to be returned to Bunnings via post.

NSW Fire and Rescue firefighters have declined gifts of tickets to the footy. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Gifts of wine have to be refused or handed back.

Some gifts are even devastatingly destroyed including an expensive bottle of wine in August last year received anonymously in appreciation for checking alarm systems at Kirribilli, and two bottles of wine gifted to firefighters in the metropolitan south when they pulled off a lift rescue in December.

And if we didn’t respect them enough already, some of the gifts and donations we try to hand over are actually donated to charity.

That has included a $100 cheque received from a member of the public donated to the burns unit and gift cards received then auctioned at the Fire and Rescue NSW ball with the proceeds going to charity.

In March this year, firefighters in the regional west donated a gift to charity after the family of a deceased requested on the funeral notice for attendees to donate to their local fire station in lieu of buying flowers.

But with all the unaccepted gifts, thankfully there are some that we do give that are going to those intended, albeit mostly modest ones at that.

A box of Roses chocolates were able to be enjoyed by a fire crew in regional north, a gift hamper equip with nuts, crackers and popcorn brittle was also retained by staff from the Office of the Commissioner in gratitude from a private company, a gift of soap for the female bathroom got the ok and a museum bag filled with a pen, lanyard and notebook following a presentation was also appreciated by its recipient.

At least firies could accept a box of Roses chocolate they received as a thankyou.

Following a major donation of $5,000 bequeathed to Fire and Rescue NSW in the last Will and Testament of a member of the public in October last year, it was distributed internally amongst the organisation after funds were not returnable.

Luckily officers and families of those deployed to Turkey and New Zealand following earthquakes got to reap the benefits of 20 tickets to the Eels v Sharks NRL match in March.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson confirmed they were bound by certain rules which meant most gifts couldn’t be accepted.

“In the course of our work, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) staff may be offered gifts, benefits or hospitality by customers, clients, suppliers, or other organisations that are generally intended as a token of appreciation for the positive work our staff do,” they said.

“Our staff are not generally able to accept gifts, and certain items are unable to be accepted in any circumstances; for example gifts of alcohol must be refused.

“In accordance with the Direction from Public Service Commissioner Katrina Lo on 19 August 2022, government sector agencies, including FRNSW, are mandated to meet specific standards in the management of gifts and benefits to minimise the risk that unethical or corrupt behaviour will occur.

“FRNSW is committed to transparency in its processes.”