Firefighter In Action
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday May 13, 2008
FIREFIGHTER Ron Jarrett has been involved with the NSW Fire Brigade since he joined when he was 17 years and 10 months old.
His father and uncle were also firemen. During his time in the brigade Mr Jarrett has seen changes in the way it approaches fighting fires. When he first joined he had to attend fires having no knowledge of hydrants or chemicals kept on the premises and would manually have to check the site, which was very dangerous.These days, with the use of computer technology, when a call comes in, it comes from the central call centre and comes with maps, building plans, details of chemicals, hydrants and anything that might affect the safety of the officers and enable them to achieve a positive result.Mr Jarrett volunteers his time to help the community. He visits elderly residents and checks that their smoke alarms are working correctly. He promotes fire-safety awareness in schools and the community. His community spirit and dedication to the fire brigade earned him a nomination for an Australia Day Citizen of the Year award this year.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald