Behind the scenes with Greg, the firefighter!
Unless you know someone who's a firefighter, we are pretty sure we can bank on the fact that you have all been wondering what these awesome people get up to on a day-to-day basis. So we’ve asked our mate Greg who is a career firefighter in Christchurch a few questions, so that those of us who are a bit nosy can learn about the kinds of things he gets up to in his line of work...Cheers Greg!
What’s your job?
I’m a professional firefighter with Fire and Emergency NZ. A profession I have enjoyed for 30 years now.
What might an average day look like in your job? (we imagine there are no days quite the same, but what types of things do you get up to?)
Day shift starts with finding your jump, and letting them go home, then putting your gear on the truck where your jump was riding and testing your Breathing Apparatus. Then its Coffee until shift parade where the riding positions and any daily tasks or jobs are read out before everyone goes and checks over the truck, run up the pump and test any equipment that needs testing.
Mornings are usually catching up on emails etc and giving the station a clean (including toilets yay) and after smoko (no one smokes anymore) we will usually do some training or drills using hoses, ladders, ropes etc until lunch break.
Afternoons are finishing off anything we didn’t get done in the morning and a lot of the firefighters have learning modules or courses that can be worked on.
We also do building visits, smoke alarm installation, panel approval or school and community visits anywhere during the day.
The last period of the day most of the crew will go to the gym or have a game of basketball etc, we have a physical fitness test that we have to pass every year.
Of course anywhere during the shift we will respond to emergency calls such as fires, motor vehicle incidents, medical incidents and any other kind of rescue that you can imagine, from ducklings down drains to people stuck in machinery, no two shifts are ever the same and some days its call after call without seeing the station and some shifts we won’t get a single call. My station averages 2194 calls per year.
And then there are the night shifts……
In your opinion, what’s the best thing about being a Firefighter?
I’m split between the comradeship of the fire family, we really do look out for each other just like family and the adventure of not knowing what the shift will bring, and some of the amazing things we get to experience each time the tones drop and we hop on that truck.
How do you stay calm in difficult and high-pressure situations?
I'm not sure if it's the fear or the training but I don’t think about the pressure until after the call is finished, then I reflect on what we have just been through, sometimes we are dealing with someone’s very worst day of their life and going cabbage just wouldn’t help the situation.
What does Road Safety mean to you?
Road Safety for me is trying to help people make better choices, whether it be talking to convicted dangerous drivers on court enforced programmes or the new generation of young motorists out enjoying the new found freedom and fun that a vehicle can bring.
What kinds of things do you like to get up to in your free time?
Swimming with Dolphins, yep that’s right swimming with dolphins, Hectors dolphins to be precise, we have a boat and a bach over in Wainui and are in the water most holidays and weekends in the summer. I’m also a bit of a petrol head so have a V8 falcon coupe for cruise etc (same model as Mad Max`s interceptor in Mad Max 1,2 and Fury Road) and a couple 4x4 vehicles for playing in the mud or going camping in the back country.
You’re stuck on a deserted island. What three things do you take with you?
My Leatherman multitool
A coil of rope
My pillow
What’s your take-away message for us?
He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
Thanks so much Greg for sharing a bit about your job and life! Remember that if you are keen to work with FENZ (Fire and Emergency New Zealand), hit up the SADD team because we have some connections.