1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: I want to take your cross to a really wonderful story. 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: And we know that a volunteer Brigade captain is celebrating 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: forty years of service to bushfires in Tea. An afternoon 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,959 Speaker 1: tea and awards ceremony was held yesterday to honor Die 5 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: Tya and a number of others at the Nunamar fire Shed. 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: And I'm very pleased to say that Die joins me 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: on the line. Good morning, Die. 8 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show. And a massive 10 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: congratulations to you, Die. Forty years Oh thank you. Oh 11 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: that's a long time to volunteer. 12 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 2: Die. Yeah, one of the gentlemen yesterday, I said I 13 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:43,959 Speaker 2: was only born that year. 14 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: Did you say, don't make me feel like I'm old. 15 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: I'm experienced. Ah, Die, what an incredible contribution to your community. 16 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: What has kept you going all this time? 17 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 2: I'm not sure. Yeah, that's sort of yeah, out there 18 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: helping the community out. And yeah, there's not only just 19 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 2: no like fighting bushfires, there's also your local community too 20 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: that get involved with and yeah, and. 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: Do I tell me how rewarding is it to be, 22 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: you know, to be a bushfires into volunteer. What's it 23 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: like for. 24 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 2: You, well, sometimes it can be a bit challenging, but 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 2: it's yeah, when when you're sort of early in the year, 26 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: get together and go out and do some describe burning 27 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 2: to make your community safe and yeah, you've got your 28 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 2: your community together. It's also helping your community and other 29 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: things as well, like yeah, supporting them, yeah, come a, yeah, 30 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 2: all sorts of things. Yeah, and yeah and just ye 31 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 2: just supporting your community. And it's a. 32 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: Wonderful thing to do. And you know, and like the 33 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: thing is, we've got so many incredible volunteers around the 34 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: Northern Territory. But you know, with bushfires n T, if 35 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: you didn't have volunteers like yourself, you know, it would 36 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: be well really fighting fires out in the rural area 37 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,399 Speaker 1: and beyond, I don't know what, like I don't even 38 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: know what you do. 39 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, even sort of at times you get very 40 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:36,679 Speaker 2: light on the ground with like volunteers bushfires and tea. 41 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 2: Only there's not that many Bushfires and T staff members, 42 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: so it gets rather stretched at times. So you've all 43 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 2: got to jump in and all support each other, which 44 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 2: bushfires counsel than bushfires and T. I've all seemed to 45 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: be there supporting each other like a big, a big family. 46 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, Hey, Dike, tell me, are there any incidents that 47 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: you've been called out to over the forty years that 48 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: really sort of stand out in your mind for you know, 49 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: for one reason or another. 50 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: Off the top of my head, not really there are. 51 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: There'd be so many. There'd be so many bush fires 52 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: probably that you've gone out to. Do you have any 53 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: idea how many fires you might have fought over that 54 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: period of time. No, if it have to be in 55 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 1: the thousands, wouldn't. 56 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 2: It it would be Yet. 57 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: Well, you know, in terms of the way in which 58 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: as well you deal with bush fires over forty years, 59 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: has it changed a lot? 60 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 2: We've changed sort of like equipment wise, safety wise. Yes. 61 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 2: I was only saying to somebody the other day that 62 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 2: without our ppe back out detective clothing that we wear 63 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 2: nowadays was not quite like that. Years ago. We actually 64 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 2: had overalls and orange gum boots was our some of 65 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: us were wearing. Yeah, yeah, and there's yes. I mentioned 66 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: that that somebody that somewhere there was a photo of 67 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: me putting that there was a fire coming. So when 68 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 2: there's a fire coming, one of the ways to try 69 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 2: and pull a fire up is you have a fire burner, 70 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 2: a firebug, and so light what's in front of the 71 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 2: fire that's coming at you, so it draws, hopefully draws 72 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 2: itself together. So somewhere I was saying there was a 73 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 2: photo of me dressed in my ringer's hat, shorts and 74 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: fishermen's sandals in full flight, jogging with a firebug. Well, 75 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 2: actually somebody found that photo. Yeah, yeah, it would definitely 76 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 2: be well and truly frowned upon today. 77 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, I reckon some of the stuff, but that was 78 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: the way you had to do it right, Like you 79 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: had to do what you had to do, and you 80 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: had to wear what was you know, what you're wearing 81 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 1: to be able to get those fires out. 82 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. Actually, also remember rocking up to a fire one 83 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 2: day in high heels. 84 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: Had you been had you been at your other like 85 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: at work or what had happened? 86 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: I think I was coming. I don't know where i'd been, 87 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: but imber up on high heels. Good on you. 88 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: That's a woman who's there to get things done, you know, 89 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: no matter what, no matter what your retire. 90 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 2: Is, definitely would be frowned upon nowadays. 91 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: I love that. I love it. What in terms of 92 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: some of the friendships that you've made. I mean, over 93 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: that period of time, you must have have made some 94 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: wonderful friends. And I understand as well that you helped 95 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: to establish the you know, the brigade that you were with. 96 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 2: Ah. Yes, yes, there was the community i'd been like 97 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 2: doing their own firefighting with their own personal equipment. Yeah, 98 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 2: we had our own Suzuki and we'd been given a 99 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 2: China water China that we actually towed with our suzuki. Yeah, 100 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 2: and then there was other residents in the area that 101 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 2: had like a you know, chanks on backs of utes 102 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 2: and that. So we decided we had a progress association. 103 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: So we decided that we should actually form our own 104 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 2: volunteer bush fire brigade because we had the surrounding brigades 105 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 2: of Livingston, which was very Creek and Acacia Hills would 106 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 2: when they could get to us because it wasn't that 107 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 2: the roads were sort of you know the roads like 108 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 2: we've got today. So yeah, so that's when we decided 109 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: that we should form our own brigade. So that was 110 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: back in year would have been probably in the late 111 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 2: eighty three that we decided to do that. Yeah, right, 112 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 2: So in yeah, March of eighty four is when we 113 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 2: officially formed our Elizabeth Funily Brigade. 114 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: Hell good, I mean that is wonderful and still operating. Now, 115 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: tell me, is the brigade on the hunt for more 116 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: volunteers at the moment? 117 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 2: Are always on the lookout for more volunteers. Why you 118 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 2: may have have on books a lot of volunteers, But 119 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 2: the thing is we're all volunteers. And sometimes you may 120 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 2: have a lot of volunteers who were available, but then 121 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 2: due to work and other commitments, sometimes you're actually going, oh, 122 00:07:56,320 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 2: we haven't actually got enough to to man all vehicles. Yeah, 123 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 2: But then other times you've got enough to like, you know, 124 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 2: have ye free and someone standby? 125 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, and then there'd be busy times of the 126 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: year or busy times I suppose as well where you 127 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: need all hands on deck. So so if anyone is 128 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: keen to volunteer, what's the best way for them to 129 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: get in contact? Do they just sort of call through 130 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: the bushfires NT? 131 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, call through the bushfires NT and then bushfires and 132 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 2: T can advise which area yeah they would either be 133 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: in or closer to yep. 134 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: Well, and then they'll be able to well, hopefully you 135 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: can get some more volleys. But I tell you what, 136 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: duy forty years of service. You should be so proud 137 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: of yourself. That is wonderful and what a contribution to 138 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory community. 139 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie. 140 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: Oh, it's lovely to talk to you this morning. I 141 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: love that story about your rocking up to fight a 142 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: fire in your heels. You know a woman on a mission. 143 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: By the sounds of it, Dye, I don't normally wear him. 144 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: I love it. That makes it even better. So good 145 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: to speak to you this morning. A massive congratulations on 146 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: your forty years. Thank you. 147 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 2: Okay, thank you very much. 148 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: No worries at all. Thanks Di.