JON Gregory moved to Tumut from Orange when he was 14, and he and Tumut have been benefitting ever since.
The future Riverina Highlands RFS District Manager went to Tumut High School, finishing after year 11 and securing a electrical apprenticeship and running his own eletrician business for 19 years.
His involvement with the emergency services began when he joined what was then called the Rescue Squad (the equivalent of today’s SES) in 1978. He first joined he Rural Fire Service as a volunteer in 1987, becoming part of the Bombowlee Brigade. There were about 30 members of this brigade then, just as there is now.
One of the aspects that drew Jon to the RFS was his health.
“Working as an electrician is pretty physical work, and my knees let go, and the medical advice was to look at something else,” he said.
“I’d done a fair bit of study and been quite involved in a voluntary basis so I transitioned to full time. First of all I went over and worked at Wagga for five years in the SES and ultimately I ended up being the Acting Regional Controller over there; and this job (the Riverina Highlands RFS District Manager) came up here and it was the same grade. It was a sideways move if you like. I’ve been in the emergency services as a volunteer for longer than in a paid role.”
The best part of this job has been working with the volunteers and making them able to serve their communities.
“They do some incredible things,” he said.
“Just last week, the crews that went up to the Warrumbungles and were working up there. It’s pretty good that we can send them away.”
The Riverina Highlands RFS crews fought a 6000-hectare fire at the Warrumbungles with distinction.
Jon has seen the firefighting capacity of RFS crews increase out of sight.
“When I joined in 1987, in those days we were still using World War II surplus trucks, and a lot of the equipment we had was begged, borrowed or stolen; improvised; that sort of stuff,” he said.
“Then the RFS transitioned to a government department, and the trucks and equipment improved a lot, and there was a lot more provided by the government. Now there is so much technology now; they are looking for satellite technology for their trucks, and we’re going to have tablets mounted in all the trucks; that’s happening in a couple of weeks. “Fighting fires is still a tricky and dangerous thing to do; if we can provide tools to those on the ground to make it easier and safer then we have achieved something.”
The new technology presents its own challenges.
“A lot of this is introduced, and firefighters are an ageing demographic; it’s just the acceptance of some of that stuff; a lot of it is driven from the metropolitan areas; a lot of our volunteers; there more hands-on people. We spend a lot of time with the brigades to get them up to that level of expertise.’
A job like this obviously has its rewards.
“I got wo complimentary calls about our crew that went up to the Warrumbungles; saying these guys did such a good job; thank you.”
As you might guess, the 2019-24 Dunns Road Bushfire was the biggest challenge of his life.
“It was horrendous,” he said.
“It certainly was a once-in-a-lifetime challenge, and we never want to see that again. We are working hard to ensure we do not see it again. We are much, much more prepared; not that we weren’t prepared then but we are much better equipped.”
Jon lives in Tumut with wife Leane, who is the Tumut SES Commander and has two adult children living in Tumut. As well as his full-time job he is still a volunteer in the SES and Bombowlee RFS.
