Firefighting runs in the family for volunteer father and daughter

When veteran firefighter Will Refshauge thinks back into the past, one of his earliest memories is dropping his father off at a fire truck, to go and fight a large campaign fire.

 

Years later, having served as a volunteer firefighter himself for nearly four decades, Will says the idea of communities banding together during times of bushfires crisis has always stuck with him.

 

“I grew up on the land, and volunteering to protect your community was just something you did,” remembers Will.

 

“If you lost your farm, you lost your livelihood, so being part of a fire service, it’s always kept me around like-minded people.

 

“As a group, we can always do more than we can as individuals, plus it’s nice to be associated with an organisation like the ACT Rural Fire Service (ACTRFS), and we’ve got a really good crew out at Molonglo.”

 

Will first volunteered for the NSW Rural Fire Service in 1988, then moved across to the ACTRFS in 1998, where he’s served in a number of senior roles, been on several deployments and helped train new members.

 

Firefighting is something of a family business for the Refshauges, with Will’s daughter Cass also joining the ACTRFS six years ago.

 

It’s no secret who inspired her to volunteer.

 

“My Dad was my entire influence for joining,” says Cass.

 

“I remember growing up and smelling the smoke on his uniform, my Mum and my sister would run into the other room, but I’d find it comforting, and go and give him the biggest hug in the world.”

 

Eventually settling with the Molonglo Brigade, Will’s commitment to protecting Canberra has never wavered, but he says staying involved with the service has been made easier thanks to his personal connections with fellow volunteers.

 

“The term that’s thrown around a lot is fire family,” says Will, “but it really does of epitomise how I feel about the place.

 

“When an incident happens, you don't want to get on a truck with people you don't know, or people you don't trust.

 

“And I’m happy to get on a truck with everyone in the Molonglo brigade.”

 

Cass agrees that it’s the people who have kept her enthusiastic about her service over the years.

 

Thanks to her father, she spent a lot of her childhood, including annual events like Christmas, around the brigade, and it made her eventual decision to join that much easier.

 

“The volunteers at Molonglo really were our fire family,” says Cass, “people who just enjoyed each other's company, and didn’t want anything else in return.

 

“To this day, there’s a lot of love between the members, and I’ve created some really strong friendships - I wouldn't trade my time here for anything.”

 

While Cass has always been enthusiastic about joining the ACTRFS, Will says he had some initial misgivings when she told him her plans.

 

“I did ask a lot of questions,” remembers Will, “I just wanted to be sure that she wasn’t joining because of me, but because she really wanted to.

 

“I’d say that to anyone thinking of volunteering for the service, if the reasons for joining aren’t yours, then you’ll lose interest pretty quickly. 

“However, if protecting your community is something you’re passionate about, and you've got the right mindset to be able to deal with fire, then the ACTRFS will absolutely be something you’ll stick at, and the number of years that Cass and I have volunteered is a testament to that.”

 

Even though father and daughter both now serve in the same brigade, they haven’t attended an incident together, much to Cass’ disappointment.

 

“It has been my dream to go to a fire with my Dad, just for the sentimentality of it,” says Cass, “but Dad has not wanted us to be rostered on together.

“It’s tough, but I agree with his thinking, this way it eliminates the favouritism that you would subconsciously have with your family.”

 

Will says across the years he’s made an effort not to roster family members on together.

 

“It really is all about the risk management,” says Will.

 

“Certainly, on a crew, if something goes wrong, you want everyone in that crew to be thinking about everyone in that crew.

 

“You don't want someone to be prioritising one individual over everyone else.”

 

Will’s years of experience make him a really valuable asset to his brigade, but he also acknowledges just how much firefighting has changed since he first pulled on the uniform back in the 1980s.

 

“The equipment, the PPE and the apps we now use have modernised things enormously,” says Will.

 

“But perhaps the biggest change has been the training, which become far more in-depth and, these days, you get a national qualification out of it.

 

“The advent of the various qualification levels, and the scope of options and pathways that you can take through the service really helps keep members engaged.”

 

Cass says the opportunities for training have been excellent, both when she completed her initial onboarding into the service, and as she looked to sharpen her skillsets over the years.

 

“The last few bushfire seasons have been quite wet,” says Cass, “but the ESA has put forward many learning opportunities for us in the service.”

 

“To be able to undergo training in chainsaw capabilities and four-wheel driving, and even the advanced firefighting courses that we now have access to, the Agency always has options for you to be able to pursue new skills.

 

By maintaining those skill levels, when the opportunity arises to be able to go out and fight a fire, we’ll be confidently prepared.”

 

Will can’t believe that six years have passed since his daughter first pulled on the yellow uniform, but Cass says she still feels focused to do a professional job for her community.

“Dad has given me some pretty big shoes to fill, but it's definitely inspiring, seeing how well known and respected he is across all of the brigades around the Territory.

 

“I’m very proud to say that I’m related to someone who just loves being a volunteer firefighter.”