Another Two Firies Recongised For Their Years Of Service

IMAGE: Robert Corcoran and Guy Evans have been recognised for their years of service.

Robert Corcoran and Guy Evans have given 43 and almost 42 years of service consecutively to the RFS.

Both men were recognised for those years of service recently with a 40-year Long Service Medal.

Guy has served as a group captain, senior deputy captain and deputy captain. He also served as the Captain of the Gunnary Brigade for ten years.

Guy recalls his first fire when he was just 14 years old. A fire broke out at the Boorowa tip and Guy’s mother was driving the Datsun 1500 ute when they jumped in. On the rear of the ute was a 44-gallon water drum with a Honda pump.

After a tree stump at the tip immobilised the Datsun, they arrived and assisted in putting out the fire. John McGrath also assisted in retrieving the vehicle.

Guy recalls the Frogmore fire quite well; the infamous disaster that destroyed Frogmore Hall. He was among the few persons on hand to help at the fire in its early stages because Harden was hosting a large event and many people were out of town.

Guy took part in all of the fires that burned through the Black Range, including the Allandale, Vine Lodge, Watershed, and Geegulalong fires.

He remembers helping out at a couple of local fires with a Thames trader truck, which had a 300-gallon tanker and pump, the first private tanker on the farm.

Guy has served 41 years and 9 months.

After 43 years of service with the Boorowa North and Hughstonia Brigades, Robert was awarded his 40-year medal.

He has been active in all of the major fires in the Boorowa area and has always been a prompt responder in both funded and private tankers.

Robert has worked long hours pursuing the edge of active fires as well as dousing them.

The RFS community expressed their gratitude to Robert for his many years of community work. Robert still possesses one of the original Boorowa North tankers on his property.

In 1990, while extinguishing fires, his brother Mark sustained burns on the gasoline Bedford tanker.

These days, Robert prefers to respond to fires in his land cruiser that has a tank and pump, so the Bedford sees little action.

Coming into the fire season, the community thanked Guy and Robert and their fellow fire fighters for everything they’ve done to keep Boorowa safe.