Pink Lake fire brigade second lieutenant Craig Scoble, Quarry Road bushfire brigade captain Laurie Palmer and Six Mile Hill fire brigade captain Sean Brennan. Photos: Chloe Sipeki.
After an intense bushfire season, the Museum Village Market Committee has recognised volunteer firefighters’ efforts with a donation to three local brigades.
Every second Sunday, Troy Gillis is supposed to be manning his Paramao oil stall at the Esperance Museum Village Markets.
However, Mr Gillis and his oils were absent from the hustle and bustle of the Museum Village for many Sundays over summer as he spent days battling fires that tore through nearby bushland.
Museum Village Market co-ordinator Amanda Thomas said Mr Gilli’s absence from the marketplace was her inspiration to give back to our local heroes.
“I thought of him, and I thought, ‘that’s a good way we can give back’,” she said.
At the official presentation last Sunday, Six Mile Hill Fire Brigade, Quarry Road bushfire brigade and Pink Lake fire brigade each received a $3,000 donation from the Museum Village Market Committee.
“After the summer they’ve had its good to show some appreciation,” Ms Thomas said.
“When I decided to do this, it was before all these fires…then it couldn’t happen because it all went mad and then there were fires left right and centre for weeks.”
Mr Gillis is a member of Six Mile Hill fire brigade and said this season had been quite busy compared to those that came before.
“We’ve been out to quite a few [fires] this year,” Mr Gillis said.
“We can always turn out to the initial fires and get onto it when it starts and flares off…but it’s when you into day four and five and you’ve already done 17-to-18-hour days, and you haven’t got crews to replace you.
“That’s where we are always constantly looking for other members.”
Now summer is over, Mr Gillis is hopeful the threat of bushfires will subside.
He said Six Mile Hill fire brigade would continue their fortnightly training sessions throughout the year, and the donation from the Museum Village Markets Committee would be a huge help.
“Simple things like meals for training nights,” he said.
“We usually charge five to ten bucks a member, but it’s time we give back to our volunteers.”
After losing a fire truck in one of the blazes this season, Mr Gillis said the money would also be used to pay for some of the equipment that had been stored on the truck.
Mr Gillis hopes to be back in his stall at the Museum Village Markets as soon as his duties to both the fire brigade and the SLSC become less pressing.
We asked Mr Gillis what his motivation was to be a volunteer fireman.
“You wonder why I run at a fire instead of away from a fire like a normal person?” Mr Gilles said with a laugh.
“It’s a special kind of insanity.”
“We just want to give back to the community.”
“The community is everything for us.”
Mr Gillis said he understood not everyone had that special insanity, but the local fire brigades were always open to more volunteers.
