Hanging up the helmet: Fire and Rescue NSW Corowa station commander Lindsay Bush has finished up on his distinguished 40-year career with the local brigade.
Fire and Rescue NSW Corowa station commander Lindsay Bush has retired after 40 years of dedicated service to the local community and beyond.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Mr Bush commenced his career at the local brigade on April 1, 1982.
“I was in my early twenties and wanted to do something to help out and contribute to the community,” Mr Bush told The Free Press.
Mr Bush went on to serve as deputy captain for 18 years, before taking over the reins as station commander in 2005.
He attended many major emergency incidents over the years including the Uncle Tobys fires in 1990 and 2005, the Ball Park fire in 2019 and deployed with strike teams to major bushfire incidents including the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires.
“There have been many major incidents in my time including house fires and car accidents, but the biggest incidents that stand out for me would be the two major fires at Uncle Tobys, and Rivalea feed mill fires,” Mr Bush said.
“Our crews have also assisted with many cross-border incidents and even helped out the NSW paramedics a fair bit with medical response in more recent years.
“We are also pretty proud of the relationship we have formed with Wahgunyah and Rutherglen CFA, as well as other fire crews in our region. We all assist each other and have worked well together for many years now.”
Fire and Rescue NSW 268 Station Corowa crews including Captain Lindsay Bush were deployed with a strike team to Talbingo in January 2020 during the Black Summer bushfires, where they helped save the Snowy Hydro Tumut 3 and extinguish a number of buildings and homes in town.
Mr Bush said there had been many highlights over the duration of his career.
“I remember when I first started, we were the major collector for the Good Friday Appeal for a number of years,” he said.
“It was a great thing to be part of, and something we looked forward to each year.
“More recently, the fire education program we started has been a fantastic initiative for the elderly people and school children in our community. To this day, we still offer free fire checks for those older residents and it’s something we are very proud of.”
Mr Bush said Corowa was particularly fortunate to have such a “dedicated” Fire and Rescue team in their community who attend over 150 incidents a year.
“Our local community is extremely lucky to have such a professional team who are highly trained and ensure everyone is kept safe,” the 64-year-old said.
“I don’t think people realise just how lucky they are. Fire and Rescue NSW Station 268 Corowa put everything on the line for their community, no matter what hour it is. They often have to leave their families during an emergency situation and they do so without a second thought.”
Having a fantastic team and a great community to work in is what kept Mr Bush fulfilled in the job for over 40 years.
“I want to thank my crew and the Corowa community for their support,” he said.
“I particularly want to thank my partner Bronwyn for her patience and assistance over the years too.
“I’ve had a great professional relationship with many organisations and businesses in the community and have made many, many friends. That’s something that I will miss the most.
“I think knowing what to do with my spare time will be the greatest challenge over the next few months, but I’m looking forward to spending more time with Bronwyn, travelling, and finally completing odd jobs around the house. There’s plenty for me to do!”
My Bush’s successor Chris Youings said he would be greatly missed by the Corowa crew.
“Lindsay has left a huge mark on our crew and also our local community,” Mr Youings said.
“He has been at the forefront of all major incidents within our community and throughout the state in such an outstanding career.
“In his legacy, he has built and maintained an outstanding crew that will continue to provide a high level of service to our community into the future.
“He will be solely missed as he has always been our leader, mentor and best friend.
“We wish “Bushy” and Bron all the best in the future and hope you enjoy the retired life where “every day is a Sunday”.
10°C