Berkshire Park’s Angus family will all fight fires together.
Last year, David and Rita Angus and their daughters, Kate and Kahlia, joined the Berkshire Bushfire Brigade, almost all at the same time.
Kate Angus, 24, said she thought about it when the last fire season threatened her family’s home.
‘‘I’d been at home by myself and could see the smoke from Llandilo and Londonderry,’’ Miss Angus said.
‘‘The feeling was overwhelming.
‘‘I was in a house full of photo albums and possessions my family would want to save.’’
She said it was a sudden insight, but in that moment she decided to join the Rural Fire Service.
Her mother, Rita, had similar feelings.
‘‘The firies were prepared to come out and protect our property for nothing,’’ Mrs Angus said.
‘‘Why shouldn’t I be prepared to do the same for my community?’’
She said fire training was also a rewarding activity in itself.
‘‘I sit behind a desk five days a week, but this gives me an incentive to stay healthy, and it’s different to what I usually do,’’ Mrs Angus said.
Her husband, David, said he loved living in a semi-rural area and realised it had to be protected.
‘‘I’m also not working as hard as I used to; it’s time to put something back into the community,’’ Mr Angus said.
‘‘I don’t know what to expect when I get to fight my first fire, but the training is not hard and I’ll use my common sense.’’
Their other daughter, Kahlia, 18, said being a volunteer firefighter seemed the right thing to do.
‘‘It seemed everyone in my family was joining the brigade; I thought I would too,’’ the younger Miss Angus said.
‘‘This benefits the whole community, that’s a good thing,’’ Miss Angus said.
