These vary in their impact and influence on each individual and are now a part of firefighters’ lives — and in many cases cannot be easily dismissed. Linton was one such tragedy.
On December 2, 1998, a tragic event shook the Linton community, Australia and the world. Firefighters in Linton, approximately 150km west of Melbourne, were fighting a large wildfire and called for assistance.
This urgent call brought firefighters from a wide area including volunteers from the Geelong West Fire Brigade to the scene not knowing the despair and tragedy that was in store.
Garry Vredeveldt, Chris Evans, Stuart Davidson, Jason Thomas and Matthew Armstrong were the crew on the Geelong West tanker that fateful day, part of a strike team sent to help extinguish the flames.
As the five headed out from the fire to refill their tanker with water, there was a sudden violent wind change as a cold change hit the area, engulfing the truck in flames and killing all five members.
JJ Edmondson, a volunteer lieutenant and firefighter in Victoria, had had the safety and training drills ingrained into her over the years and had always been aware that her friendship with other firefighters could lead her to joy and the sense of being part of a greater family as well as to potential loss.
When Matt, Stuart, Jason, Garry and Chris of Geelong West lost their lives all of this struck home hard.
It didn’t matter that these five were from a different brigade or in another region, they could have been from another state or country for all that mattered.
What was important was that they were firefighters, who lost their lives doing something that they have all been trained and are proud to do – they died trying to save life and property.
This, and the letters of support and fellowship that flowed from the tragedy, spurred JJ to set a new year’s resolution for 1999: to organise an internationally recognised symbol of support and respect for all firefighters and a date for which this could be co-ordinated worldwide.
For weeks JJ co-ordinated email discussions with the national and international community for their comments and suggestions as to an appropriate date and symbol to use, and the response was overwhelmingly positive, with great support for the chosen date and ribbons.
The date chosen for International Firefighters’ Day was linked to the feast day of St Florian (the patron saint of all firefighters).
St Florian was the first known commander of one firefighting squad in the Roman Empire. He lost his life, as well as those of his colleagues, acting on the same humane ideas that firefighters all over the world share even today.
Firefighters in most of the European countries celebrate their day on May 4 as a Day of Fire Service, as well as St Florian’s Day. This date is also known as St Florian’s Day worldwide and has been tradition for more than 150 years in Europe.
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