Fire crew welcomed home after Canadian deployment

​After a five-week deployment battling wildfires in Canada, our brave firefighters and incident response experts are safely back on home soil.

More than 5.1 million hectares of the Canadian landscape have been affected by wildfires. To put that into perspective, Tasmania's total land mass is 6.8 million hectares.

The 15-strong PWS team was deployed to the Alberta and British Columbia wildfire operations. Ten staff undertook remote firefighting roles while the other five fulfilled specialist roles in incident management and aviation.

The deployment was a fantastic opportunity for PWS staff to share their skills and to learn new skills from another country.

Fire Operations Officer Larissa Giddings said the trip highlighted the remote area firefighters' professional skills, knowledge and experience and their adaptability in changing environments.

“We were looked after well by Canada with our accommodation during shift, food and needs met. We were told to be flexible all along and the Incident Management Team were receptive to any feedback and actioned where possible to make our experience as comfortable as they could," she said.

“I am really appreciative of our Department's support of these deployments for professional development and for the support of our international counterparts. We are all very lucky to be a part of such a deployment arrangement."

Reflecting on his experience and some of the more memorable moments from the deployment, firefighter Robin Meyers highlighted working alongside the contingent from South Africa, who would sing and dance at any opportunity they had.

“Whether it was at the crack of dawn, while waiting for our helicopter insertions or sitting in the scrub while we sat for a bite to eat, they were always full of energy and laughter -
that was infectious to anyone in the vicinity," he said.

“It was awesome to share stories from our respective homes, about culture and landscape, all the while we were in a totally new and exciting place."

Upon their return home, most were greeted by friends and family, but none could top Robin's airport greeting, who was met by an excited four-legged companion called Huey.

“I think we were both as excited as each other! It's a bit of a tradition that my wife and I have whenever one of us goes away, but that was extra special as it was the longest Huey and I had ever been apart."

Tasmania is part of the National Resource Sharing Centre, which requested support from all states and territories to bolster the firefighting response in Canada.

Australia has an ongoing mutual fire management arrangement with Canada which allows for the exchange of personnel, resources, and technology when required.

Thanks to all those who were involved with the deployment and gave their time and expertise to help out in an urgent time of need.

The PWS Firefighters include: Rhys Wilson, Ken Brooks, Mark O'Brien, Larissa Giddings, Keegan Pope, Jerard Flakemore, Stuart Primrose, Jason Moore, Robin Meyers, Aidan Munro, Ben Hill and Phil Gillingham.

The PWS IMT include: Nic Deka (incident controller), Catherine Charlesworth (logistics officer) and John Duggan (deputy incident controller).