North coast fire fighter honoured

It was a hot, smoky morning when Senior Deputy RFS Captain John Holmes and his comrades arrived at the Bean Creek fire, near Bonalbo.

Having been a member of the Mallanganee Brigade (Kyogle Shire) for more than half a century, Deputy Captain Holmes was more than familiar with the tasks that lay ahead.

But this job, during last year’s spring fires, was different.

‘When we got there around 10am, it was already 35 degrees,’ Mallanganee Brigade Captain Neville O’Malley recalled on ABC radio last week.

‘We were on a fairly steep hill going down.

‘Within 20 minutes John had collapsed on us… He got up and said he was okay…but within five minutes he had collapsed again…’

When Deputy Captain Homles completely collapsed a third time, soon after, the brigade hit the emergency button on their radios, bringing a swift response from the nearest paramedics.

But it was too late, the 74-year-old died on the fire ground.

Last week, around six months after his death, Deputy Captain Holmes was honoured at the National Emergency Services Memorial in Canberra.

As his partner Mavis Goodlad watched on, the proud firey joined 17 other emergency services personnel in being immortalised on the wall, located on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin.

‘This is a fitting tribute to those who have tragically left us while carrying out the selfless act of defending others,’ Commissioner of the RFS Bob Rogers said.

‘Our thoughts continue to be with their families, loved ones, friends and fellow brigade members.’

Captain O’Malley said his mate would have been quietly ‘stoked’ at being included on the wall.

53 years of service

‘John was in the brigade 53 years… and joined when he was 21,’ he said.

‘He loved the fire brigade… meeting nights, training days… wash the truck…John will show up.

‘John would be stoked, but he wouldn’t tell you that…he’s shy, doesn’t like too much fuss…but deep down he’d be stoked.’