Firefighters also provide critical medical treatment when they arrive at accidents before ambos. They also have specialised, high-angle Rope Rescue teams for urban search and rescues in high places.
When buildings collapse, firefighters save people under rubble with drills, jackhammers, cameras and acoustic listening devices. Firefighters also have marine specialists who extinguish fires at ports and on boats.
With HAZMAT, initial tests include 1,000 different chemicals and the risks are multitudinous (modern materials are way more flammable than traditional materials). There’s an adage – ‘it’s not the fire that will kill you, it’s the clean-up’ – I had no idea that so much went into firefighting after the flames are doused. And because it’s 2025, firefighters use drones to assess fires with a bird’s eye view, of course!
You used to be a hero if you went into a fire without breathing apparatus. Now, firefighters have a common expression – ‘no good being a dead hero’. So much has changed. Today I got to live out the childhood dream. For a day, I was a firefighter. And Fire Rescue Victoria let me keep my helmet, so obviously that will take pride of place in my study! They bring calm to chaos. They keep us all safe. They save lives. And they also ‘salary sacrifice’ and donate to Love Your Sister. xFiremanSam Fire Rescue Victoria UFU Vic
PS The biggest THANK YOU to the 60-odd firies who came into the FRV Academy on their day off to make it happen today. You put on a truly stunning show! I owe you forever, you know how this works.
PPS …and thank you for a great day to my fellow FireOps 101 grads! Sara di Maria Keith Banks Major Brendan Nottle Salvos Online The Salvation Army – Victoria Molly Taylor Molly Taylor Michael Galea Michael Galea MP Kathleen Matthews-Ward Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP
