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.”
Tips for staying safe this summer
As we head into warmer months in Australia, Chris shared some of his top tips to stay safe and prevent fires.
“During the summer, we teach people who live near forests to keep their roofs and gutters clear of leaves, as well as have their lawns mowed and steer clear of any rubbish around their houses,” Chris said.
“If you are cooking up a barbecue in a park using a gas cylinder, you should also keep a container of water nearby just in case, as well as listen out for severe weather warnings on the radio, TV and on your mobile phones.
“If for whatever reason you’re not sure about something, you can get in touch with someone at the nearest fire station and they will help you.”
For more information on how to stay fire safe, visit your local RFS website.
