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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-06-01 Daily Xml
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International Firefighters' Day

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (12:51): I move:

That this house—

(a) notes that 4 May 2022 was International Firefighters’ Day;

(b) remembers the firefighters who have lost their lives while serving our community;

(c) expresses condolences to the family and friends of Louise Hincks who tragically died in January this year while fighting a fire at Coles in the state’s South-East; and

(d) shows its support and appreciation for firefighters who put themselves at risk and work hard every day to protect our community.

International Firefighters' Day is an incredibly important and significant day in our calendars. Firefighters, whether paid or unpaid, do not think twice about putting their lives on the line. In South Australia, we are fortunate to have the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS), the Country Fire Service (CFS) and landowners who are farm firefighters as well. The MFS are a professional service. They are available night and day and work hard at structure fires, car accidents and hazardous events, and assist residents. They often work hand in hand with the CFS, especially when there are significant events. Firefighting or being a firefighter is a dangerous job. Hazards and risks come from anywhere at any time, and on International Firefighters' Day we remember those firefighters who have lost their lives while serving their communities.

In January this year, a fire broke out in our state's South-East at Coles. It was a hot and windy day and it was clear that it was going to be a significant event. Hundreds of firefighters answered the call from all over the state, including Victoria. As they always did, they got their page, they jumped on a truck and they headed down to Coles. On 21 January, I recall hearing that a firefighter had sadly lost their life and that one had been seriously injured. As a firefighter, it hits hard when you hear something like that, but you do not automatically think it is going to be someone that you know quite well. As more information became available during the day it became clear that I did know the fallen firefighter, and as we gathered at our CFS station it was clear we also knew the injured firefighter, and quite well—very well.

I met Louise Hincks when our children were very little. Louise Hincks was an incredible lady. She worked hard for the CFS, not only as a volunteer firefighter but also for SAFECOM, and she supported other firefighters who had been injured or who had been through traumatic events and needed her support, both mentally and socially. She worked hard. She has two young children—well, they are teenagers now, but when our kids used to play together they played well and we would always sit around and chat, with my friend Liesa, and we would talk about our futures and what we saw for our kids.

Unfortunately, on 21 January Louise Hincks answered the call—as she would quite often—to head down to Coles. She was the Strike Team Leader, she worked hard, she ran her crew the Happy Valley brigade, and like any other fire that she had attended she always thought that she would be going home. Louise joined the CFS as a teenager. Both of her teenage daughters now are also CFS volunteer firefighters at the Happy Valley brigade. Her husband, Lindsay Hincks, also works in emergency services. Louise has always been well respected. Unfortunately, on that day, on 21 January, the worst happened: a tree fell and Louise lost her life. She never came home.

It is incredibly difficult to listen to the stories and the friendships she made and how much she impacted everybody in her career as a CFS firefighter, but it was very heartening to hear and watch the CFS family gather around her family and gather around each other. We welcomed her home on the South Eastern Freeway across all the bridges at all the exits. It was incredibly touching. From there also the events that happened afterwards—her memorial service and then another service at the CFS historical Museum at Naracoorte—all acknowledged her commitment not only to the CFS but to her community because in general CFS volunteers do not think about themselves: they just think about who they are protecting.

We give our condolences to Louise's family and friends and her brigade family. The Happy Valley CFS brigade are currently preparing a memorial of their own for Louise, which will be a peaceful place to reflect—for her daughters to go but also for her family and friends to go and remember.

Firefighters are often injured in their call of duty. It happens quite often, but death is not as often; in fact, it hardly happens. They are very well trained, they know what they are doing, they work hard to make sure they do their drills, they know what to do, but sometimes bad things happen, and in this case that is what happened down at Coles.

Firefighters are also injured psychologically when they attend fires. We need to throw our arms around those who were at that fire but who were also at other fires where they have been injured. The CFS Foundation works hard to support firefighters and their families, and we acknowledge the work they do and the hard times with which they have to deal with the firefighters that they look after.

I ask that this house shows its support and appreciation for all firefighters today and every day because every day a firefighter will get up in the middle of the night or in the middle of the day, leave work if they have to and go and support their community. We need to always remember that they are there when we need them but that they are also a person just like us, and so I ask that we all support this motion.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:57): With the very short amount of time I have, I wish to support this motion saluting all firefighters. I also am a volunteer with the CFS, and I want to salute all the firefighters, whether they be in the MFS, the CFS or the farmers who come out with their farm fire units, who do take incredible risks. I saw it during the Yumali-Netherton fire, where several people got burnt, including my brother, who had a burn on his hand. Another bloke copped some fairly severe burns, but due to the valuable work at the burns unit and his wearing that tight suit for about 18 months he is coming very good and still able to run his property.

In the very short time I have, I certainly want to show my support for Louise Hincks and the valuable work she did with SAFECOM and as a leader in the CFS. My absolute condolences go to her family. It is not something that we expect to see—someone out fighting fires and losing their life—so I honour her sacrifice.

I note that the CFS Foundation has been raising funds for a memorial garden for Louise Hincks at the Happy Valley CFS. They have managed to secure a grant of $5,000 from the City of Onkaparinga to cover the costs of the project. There have also been donations of cherry blossom trees, a large memorial rock (which would be worth quite a bit) and some vouchers from Bunnings, but they still require over $17,000 to fund the earthworks for this much-needed memorial so that Louise can be remembered for time to come.

I would like to see Minister Szakacs and the Labor government step in and put that funding together. I think it is a small amount of money to make sure that we honour the memory of Louise Hincks at the Happy Valley CFS and also remember that sometimes people do not come home. Our firefighters from all across the state do such a marvellous job. Again, I think it would be a fitting tribute for Minister Szakacs and the Labor government to find those funds to make sure the memorial can be put in place so the Happy Valley CFS, her daughters, her husband and everyone else can pay their respects. With that, I support the motion.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (13:00): I move to close the debate.

Motion carried.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.

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