Griffith Fire and Rescues James Brown and Gavin Wickenden appointed as Deputy Captains

Firefighters James Brown and Gavin Wickenden, who have 40 years of service between them, were handed the reins on Wednesday.

Both long-time Griffith residents, Mr Wickenden joined the station in 1998 at the age of 18 while Mr Brown entered in 2008.

Each have had their share of experiences dealing with the worst fires can offer, with each lending their service to combat the devastating fires that gripped parts of the state during the summer of 2019/20.

Mr Wickenden said no other incident stands out in his mind as much as that.

"I've seen a few bad ones locally, but being sent up to Glenn Innes during that harrowing time was the worst. You you could see where the fire had been and it hit that hard," he said.

He is looking forward to the new roll, saying he plans to deliver for the good of the community to the best of his ability.

"I want to bring leadership to the role and communication with the team.

"It's a great step up but also a great opportunity for potential recruits who will be needed to fill our former roles."

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Meanwhile, Mr Brown says he was inspired to join to connect with his community and intends to continue that trend in a broader capacity.

"I always wanted to do something to help out our town and connect with a team," he said.

"I'm heavily involved with my church but joining Fire and Rescue has allowed me to connect with people outside of that and look out for them."

Like Mr Wickenden, he also dealt with the wrath flames during the black summer bushfires.

"I was sent to Eden to assist put out a blaze that had ignited on 10,000 tonnes of wood chips. That's 50 metres by 50 metres, 10 metres high. We ended up having to pump water onto the inferno from the ocean and use a remote control bob cat to pull it apart. I'll never forget it," he said.

He says he is looking forward to new appointment.

"It takes a team to do what we do. We get nearly 500 calls a year in Griffith which amounts to a lot of late nights and lost sleep. We're easily the busiest station within our zone, which stretches from Coolamon to Broken Hill," he said.

"It isn't just grass fires and car accidents either. There's plenty of ongoing training and fortnightly drills."

Griffith Fire and Rescue are on the hunt for new recruits and those interested are urged to visit the station on Fridays after 5pm or contact (02) 6929 5711.

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