Courageous Volunteers !

This summer has seen the most dangerous fire conditions n Australia for many years.   The Monsoon is late and as a consequence the sun has baked the " Red Centre " mercilessly - and the prevailing wind has carried that heat south.  All that has stood between disaster and a huge loss of life has been the unswerving efforts of an army of volunteer fire fighters.

This has been the year of the bushfire in every Australian state and in Tasmania the loss of homes has been severe.  What is exceptional is the fact that so far the damage has been restricted to bricks and mortar.  The fire authorities have implemented evacuation plans that have saved lives - even when the fire danger has been elevated to " Catastrophic "..

This response to need is uniquely Australian.   The men and women who don protective clothing and man the fleet of fire vehicles and undertake the dangerous job of fighting fires are " ordinary " people.    They give up their free time to train to a professional standard, and when danger threatens the community they often spend days in the field battling the flames - and this in unpaid work.

The fire fighters - just like their volunteer comrades in the State Emergency Services ( SES ) - are the people who respond when the state has a need.    They fill an economic gap that it would be impossible for the state economy to otherwise fill.   In some cases their employers grant paid leave to cover time away, but in many cases they are self employed - and duty comes at a personal loss of income.

It has been suggested that when Anzac day arrives this year, the men and women who performed so brilliantly in saving the community from fire should don their uniforms and join the Anzac day parade march.  It would be a fitting way to recognise the gift of service they have contributed to saving Australia from disaster.

Some people have voiced disagreement.   They claim that Anzac day is sacred to our war losses, but the spirit of Anzac day widely encompasses all those who face danger for this country - and that danger takes many forms.    The ranks of the Anzac march grow progressively thinner and the time must come when it is no longer the spectacle that draws huge crowds.  We must be practical - and open our way of thinking.

Including the volunteer fire fighters and the men and women of the SES is no slight to those who gave their lives for this country.  If anything, it exemplifies the fact that the spirit of Anzac lives on - and Australians still put their lives on the line  whenever danger threatens Australia.