Intensity still burning
Camaraderie biggest job perk says Flint Fire alarms pivotal for Far North properties
FOR Far North firefighter Antony Flint walking on to a scene is “a very different, surreal experience”.
But watching a Cairns timber yard go up in flames over the morning sunrise is one job that’s stuck with him almost 15 years later.
“I do remember the timber yard that used to be on Aumuller Street when that was burnt, that was arson,” he said.
“It was very unfortunate, the person who set the fire actually passed away.
“But from a picturesque perspective, if you can imagine a massive structure that had been very well involved in fire … and then as the night went into morning the morning sun was rising through the ashes of the fire.
“It was pretty spectacular, it was a big sun, it was a beautiful spot and a picture that I still remember.
“But unfortunately no one had cameras those days.”
With almost 24 years experience in the role, Mr Flint has worked all over the Far North region and is currently working with community safety operations.
He said any given job was “organised chaos for a moment and very loud”.
“It’s amazing when you walk on to a property, you’re trying to get people into position to minimise the fire, then you’ve got a 9kg gas bottle venting and there’s flames and it’s just like a roar of a jet engine,” he said.
“It’s very spectacular sometimes too, unfortunately at someone’s cost.
“But it’s chaos that we’re just trying to get some order to.
“Quite often you can get it sorted out very quickly … and there is a certain amount of sadness to someone, which is the worst part.”
But the camaraderie and teamwork was one of the best parts of the job.
“It’s the people in the job that make it special,” he said.
“We have a common thread, we enjoy each others company and there is something special about it that I haven’t seen in other places.”