NSW bushfires: Firefighter tattoo unites service men and women
Men and women fireys from across NSW are lining up for this 2019-20 bushfire season tattoo in such large numbers a tattoo parlour has been swamped.
The Blue Mountains News
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A tattoo parlour in the Blue Mountains has been swamped by requests for specially-designed 2019-20 bushfire season tattoos.
Men and women fireys are lining up for the tatts after Stuart McEwan, of Warrimoo, came up with the design options and offered them free of charge on Facebook as a thank you to all our Rural Fire Service volunteers.
The phone at his Springwood tattoo parlour, InkFx, has been running hot ever since.
There are 115 tattoos booked in — and that’s not counting the nearly 30 already completed.
“Saturdays are booked out until the beginning of March,” Mr McEwan said.
“We thought we’d probably get a few requests, but it’s been just crazy; people are ringing up all the time.”
Two RFS brothers got their ink done yesterday.
Darryl and Rodney McSorley both volunteer with Wallerawang RFS, about 14 km northwest of Lithgow.
Darryl, 38, is a big fan of memory tattoos and already has one tatt to remember his pop, who sadly passed away, and another to keep his beloved niece and goddaughter close.
His new water-bombing helicopter tattoo symbolises the pride and bravery associated with the fire services during the most devastating bushfire season the country has ever seen.
Like so many volunteers, Darryl joined the RFS because he “thought I could do something to help out” and was among the fearless firefighters on the ground battling the Gospers Mountain mega-blaze when it raged towards Lithgow on December 21. “The whole of Saturday was pretty hairy,” he said modestly.
Brother Rodney said this is the first tattoo he’s got with his “cooler under pressure” sibling Darryl, who he also got to spend a few days with in the fire truck this bushfire season.
“We’re taking out the 2019-2020 date in the design and putting in the Wallerawang postcode 2845,” Rodney, 36, said. “I was at Gospers since the start, helping with back burns and doing night patrols of Wolgan Valley and the Emirates.”
The tattoo parlour’s offer is also open to State Emergency Services and Fire and Rescue NSW members and the design can be modified accordingly. So far, six SES and two FRNSW members have asked for one.
“We can’t offer much, as we are mere tattoo artists, but we are offering a free tattoo for any of you who have fought and looked after our country in the current fire crisis,” Mr McEwan said.
Staff at the parlour dedicate half of every day to applying firefighter tattoos, and spend the rest of the day earning their keep.
“I have so much respect for what these guys are doing. Well, for what everyone has done for the firefighters really,” Rodney said. “It’s been unreal.”
Contact InkFx at Springwood on (02) 4751 4581 to make an appointment.