Foothills firefighters Garry Lee and Allan Small were shocked after being named Knox City Council’s 2008 Australia Day award recipients.By Tania Martin
FOR volunteer firefighters Garry Lee and Allan Small, risking their lives to save others is just part of the job.
Both have fought fires for more than 40 years, but that didn’t prepare them for the shock of winning an Australia Day award.
Mr Lee was on Saturday named the Knox City Council 2008 Volunteer of the Year, while Mr Small was named Citizen of the Year.
Both were shocked and humbled by the awards because they love fighting fires and protecting their respective communities.
For Mr Lee, his passion for fighting fires started in 1967 when he joined the Upper Ferntree Gully Fire Brigade, and 40 years later he is serving his third term as captain.
Mr Lee is widely respected for the countless hours he puts in at the fire station each week and his personal philosophy of treating everyone as his equal. But despite his years of work at the brigade, the Australia Day award still shocked this passionate fire captain.
Mr Lee said he loved fighting fires and protecting his community.
“It’s gets in your blood and never leaves you,” he said.
Even when faced with death, Mr Lee said he never once thought of giving up. He said the worst fires he had seen were the 2005 Sydney bushfires.
“It was then I thought that was it – I was a goner,” he said. “The fire changed direction and came straight for us. It was only lucky we had a large brick house to hide in – we were faced with a 30 to 40-metre wall of flames that jumped over the top of the house.”
Mr Lee said even when he retired from active duty he would continue to be involved with the brigade.
Mr Small also said fighting fires was in his blood. He joined the CFA in 1967, following his brother-in-law’s lead.
“I was courting my wife, who lived in The Basin in those days, when a fire broke out and her brothers went off to fight it and dragged me along,” he said. “That for me was the beginning of the end and since then I haven’t looked back.”
Mr Small said he was shocked to receive this award because he fought fires for the love of it, not to be recognised.
He wants to continue fighting fires for years to come and keep teaching up-and-coming youngsters the importance of being the best volunteer firefighters they can be.
“I will continue on as long as they want me, but slowly I will start handing over the reins to some of the younger members so they can step forward, but I will always be there in the background,” Mr Small said.
