05/03/2024
Young Women inspiring young women. We are Proud of You Bec.
After the 2019/20 fire season, the Tumut and Adelong Times ran a fantastic story, highlighting the work of women during the Dunns Road fire campaign.
The Times have graciously allowed us to re-share these stories with you. Today, we're bringing you the story on Rebecca Dean.
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For many seasoned firefighters, the Dunns Road Fire was amongst the worst of blazes they had experienced in a career spanning decades. For 18-year-old Rebecca Dean, it was certainly a frightening and challenging disaster to face at such a young age.
Firefighting runs in the blood of both of Ms Dean, whose father was Captain of the Adelong Brigade when she first joined the RFS as a cadet at age 12, and her grandfather had also been Brigade Captain in the past.
Although the Adelong Brigade has many women involved who each perform important, vital tasks, Ms Dean is one of just two women who go out to the firefront and battle the blazes.
βAs a member of the Adelong Brigade we were going out all the time since the fire actually first ignited, we had a day shift crew and a night shift crewβ she said.
Ms Dean began working at the firefront on the second day of the Dunns Road fire.
βIβd do a day shift and then sleep and go out the next day and just continue with everyone,β she said.
Ms Dean said that itβs βpretty coolβ to be one of the only girls in her Brigade that goes out on the trucks, but she also likes being able to meet other women from other Brigades while on the field.
βItβs nice, we get together and introduce ourselves and eat together when we had time to, that kind of stuff,β she said.
βFirefighting is often looked at as a male orientated type of thing, but you know, girls are just as capable as men to be able do that,β she said.
βYes youβve got to be strong and sometimes youβve got to be really brave, but anyone can do it.β
Ms Dean would love to see more women on the frontlines, and explained how there are unique situations where women can really step up.
During the Dunns Road Fire she arrived at one property where one of the women was breaking down, the experience taking a very real toll on her.
βI took that into my job to calm her down and get her settled and then explain to her what was going to happen, that the fire was coming straight for her house,β Ms Dean said.
βWe ended up saving her house, but it was more that nurturing role in a way, just relieving some of that anxiety from this lady who was really worried.β
For Ms Dean, the fire was a life changing experience. To go out and face such a devastating, ginormous fire at any age is a huge feat, but especially at 18. The fire has not deterred her away from future RFS work, however β she is more determined than ever to lend a hand and get more young people involved.
βThe only young people we have are the next generation of the people that are already there,β she said, explaining the need to branch out and get new faces involved.
There is a real need for young, energetic people to get involved, who can be partnered with the more seasoned firefighters who have decades worth of knowledge and experience that cannot be taught.
βItβs about building up that next generation of firefighters.β
π· Image and story courtesy Tumut and Adelong Times
