The Unpaid Professionals

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Graham Furlong, the Captain of Lower Chittering Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Chris Hynes, a member of Waterloo Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade & the Chief Fire Control Officer for the Shire of Dardanup.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Jordan McIntosh, a member of Bunbury Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Terri Kowal, the Captain of Bunbury Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Jeff Briggs, a member of Cookernup Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Jenelle Parkinson, a member of Myalup Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Ed Bland, a member of Bridgetown Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delve into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Fred and Judy Talbot, two long term members of the Roelands/Olive-Hill Combined Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade (VBFB) in the Shire of Harvey.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delving into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Phil Penny, a member of both Yarloop & Cookernup Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade(s) (VBFB) in the Shire of Harvey.

Phil was largely involved in the Waroona-Yarloop fires that begun on the 6th of January, 2016 and provides us with some insight on what really went down behind the scenes.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delving into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an special bonus interview with Jen Armitage, who was the President of the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Football club, in the Shire of Harvey at the time of the Waroona-Yarloop fires that begun on the 6th of January, 2016. 

Jen, like many other volunteers was volunteering behind the front line to help keep everything going behind the scenes while the volunteers on the front line were out fighting the fires, her story is one of many. 

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delving into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Mick Papalia, the current Captain of the Leschenault Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade (VBFB) in the Shire of Harvey.

Mick became involved in firefighting over 40 years ago, and was largely involved in the Waroona-Yarloop fires that begun on the 6th of January, 2016. 

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delving into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

This week, we share an interview with Bev Seeney, a volunteer from the Somerset Hill Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade (VBFB) in the Shire of Denmark. 

Bev joined her local brigade when she first moved to Denmark, and has now been an active member for over 30 years. Receiving her 30 Year Long Service Medal in December 2020.

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .

Welcome to the Unpaid Professionals, a fortnightly podcast where we will be sharing the real stories of the different members of the 566+ Western Australian Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades with you and delving into what it is that drives them to volunteer and what it's really like behind the scenes.

Over 75% of the 26 000 firefighters in Western Australia are members of the 566+ different Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades in the state, these volunteers belong to the bush fire service. 

A huge difference between volunteers belonging to this service and the other firefighting services in the state is that they are administered and trained by their local government, depending on which region they belong to, whereas firefighters in the other services are administered and trained by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). 

There are 113 different local governments that the 566+ brigades belong to, spanning all over WA in all sorts of different climates and regions. 

Unpaid Professionals is authorized by Bushfire Volunteers - ABN: 88 309 326 546

www.bushfire.org.au

Audio track "Firecall," © Sam Bell (2020) .