Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) | Hansard source

Picture the moment the emergency pager starts beeping at two in the morning. Somewhere in Alligator Creek, near Townsville, a rural firey is pulling on their boots to protect a neighbour in need. You can train someone to handle a high-pressure hose, but you cannot train the heart it takes to run towards a blazing fire front when the natural instinct is to run away.

Last week, I joined the Nome District Rural Fire Brigade for their community information day and was handed a hose by one of the volunteer firefighters, Lachlan. Talking to him and fellow local firies Callum, Tyson and Joshua, I instantly saw their dedication. Having grown up on cattle and cane properties, Lachlan's practical firefighting knowledge was a spark that had him smouldering long before he commenced training. It is because of people like him that this brigade has grown to 30 volunteers—absolute proof that in Alligator Creek community spirit spreads a lot faster than any wildfire.

But the heat is still on, and Nome needs more hands on deck. It is time we answer the call for people that answer ours. These volunteers are on call for emergencies that they hope will never come. Let's make sure that these local heroes, who are there for us each and every day, never stand alone.

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