Sydney firefighter Chris Stathis reflects on career of helping people and saving lives

·

NSW Fire and Rescue Station Officer Chris Stathis has been putting out fires and saving lives since his early 20’s in Sydney, Australia. 

In an interview with The Greek Herald, the Greek Australian firefighter revealed how his journey began.

“I had a neighbour who was a firefighter, who told me all about the fire department and that I should look into becoming a firefighter if I wanted to,” Chris said.

“He took me to the fire station and showed me around. I also had a friend at school who was a few years older than me that had been to the fire station, and he showed me around the fire station as well and that’s how I got interested.”

Applying to the fire department

Chris first applied to the fire department in 1990, where he was required to do different types of tests, spanning across three years. They included both physical and mental tests, followed by many interviews.

“When we passed the exam, we then started training for 16 weeks,” he explained.

“When we passed the training, we were then each assigned to a fire station. I went to a fire station in early 1994 at the age of 23.”

In 2018, Chris was also part of the NSW Fire and Rescue team who was deployed to Greece to assist with recovery efforts following the wildfires. He was there for 15 days to help communities, alongside local fire authorities and other agencies. 

The pros and cons of the job

As someone who’s been working for NSW Fire and Rescue for more than 20 years, Chris explained that there are both positives and negatives to doing what he loves each day.

“Some of the advantages of this job are that every day is different, and you don’t know what’s going to happen when you come to work. Another advantage is working with a team and having that camaraderie,” he said.

“The downsides are when you see people getting hurt or killed and working in shifts.”

Despite this, the 51-year-old said he loves “being able to help people during their crisis and knowing that I have saved lives and their most precious possessions.”

He also addressed the misconception that firefighters only rescue people, stating they do much more than what most people think.

“People think we only go to fires, but we do rescues, car accidents, storm damage, chemical spills and hazardous materials,” he said.

“We also help educate people about the dangers around their homes, we teach children in schools about the dangers of fires, and we are also very involved within the community.”

For more information on how to stay fire safe, visit your local RFS website.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Iran-backed attack plan targeting Israelis in Cyprus thwarted

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced Saturday that a planned Iranian-backed attack on Israeli citizens in Cyprus was thwarted.

Global fallout as US strikes Iran nuclear sites

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply after the United States launched a major strike on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities.

ISIS suicide bomber kills 22 at Greek Orthodox church in Damascus

A suicide bombing at the Greek Orthodox Church of Prophet Elias in Damascus on Sunday left 22 dead and dozens injured.

Earlwood’s Greek spirit centre stage as ‘Plateia’ Festival secures state funding

The City of Canterbury Bankstown will host the “Love Earlwood” festival thanks to the NSW Government’s Open Streets 2025-28 Program.

Greek Consul General honoured at Hellenic Club farewell event in Sydney

Sydney’s Greek community came together on Thursday for a dignified farewell dinner in honour of Greece’s Consul General, Ioannis Mallikourtis

You May Also Like

Making Green Waves: Nikoletta Koutalianos aims to lead the way to a sustainable future

26-year-old Greek businesswoman Nicoletta Koutalianos' business 'Rooted' was one of the 3 finalists selected for the Finder Green Awards 2021.

Six olive groves to visit in Australia

With summer around the corner, the perfect activity to get you out in the sun is to go olive picking!

Jamie Oliver meets with Thessaloniki Mayor to talk about city’s gastronomy

Famous British chef, Jamie Oliver is currently in Thessaloniki for TV production and met with the Mayor, Constantine Zervas.