I have never heard an angry voice from the fire brigade next door, no fights, anyone vomiting outside, just a gentle social hum when they have a social night, or the clink of a glass on the balcony when they have a special event or dinner.
The fire siren sounds at 5.30pm every Monday and within five minutes the volunteers are there.
They turn up for weekly meetings, training sessions, to clean and service their brigade vehicles during the week, attend often frequent fire callouts and if there's a car accident and anyone is injured there will be six or eight members of the fire brigade standing by with their engine as the rescue helicopter lands and takes off. It's all part of the job for these generous volunteers.
The fire brigade and its members are also at the centre of every major community event or activity, from the annual Christmas parade when the fire engines, old and new, parade at their spanking clean best, school sports days and cheerfully attending the most mundane of problems which arise in this small and isolated community.
Our fire brigaders are all volunteers, unlike the inspectors who so cheerfully dissected them, probably part of their agenda to professionalise the fire service.
How many of the fire brigade "inspectors" named in your article are recent immigrants from the UK now getting handsome full-time salaries in their full-time fire service jobs?
In the old days local government councils were also all volunteers. But now we have totally "paid" councillors and highly paid professional staff, millions of dollars for each council.
The whole council structure is filled with blow-hards, the socially arriviste and political connivers who draw millions a year and accomplish so little.
Full-time salaries do not a better local government or fire service make.
How many of these professional "inspectors" would be prepared to do a full-time job and then volunteer dozens of hours a week attending the fire brigade and its many callouts?
Volunteers even have to pay for their own petrol to attend callouts, meetings and training sessions.
The fire brigaders' community service, in many cases for decades, was disregarded.
They were treated as pawns in a bigger battle: an impromptu "inspection" a vehicle for avid professional inspectors pursuing their own agendas.
The Russell Fire Brigade is a proud group of volunteers, every one.
They merit our respect and our thanks.
We cherish them and honour what they do.
