Balmoral Village Rural Fire Service captain Brendon O'Connor knows a thing or two about fighting fires as he has done it for more than 20 years.
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Last summer, he battled blazes throughout one of the worst bushfire seasons Australia has seen, including those that threatened to burn his own community to the ground.
Mr O'Connor was in the thick of it when homes and bushland in Balmoral were destroyed by the Green Wattle Creek fire in December.
That's why he welcomed the Report of the NSW Bushfire Inquiry, and is supportive of a number of the 76 recommendations that he hopes will address the "failings" he saw from the RFS and NSW Government.
Mr O'Connor believes an over-reliance on computer modelling, taking RFS resources away from the town before December 21, and a failure by the RFS to take on local knowledge all contributed to the Southern Highlands hamlet being destroyed by fire.
The captain of 11 years supported the recommendations, labelling them "positive" as they addressed many of the concerns firefighters had over Black Summer.
"I am very happy the government has accepted all the recommendations," he said.
"The key will be the implementation of them all."
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday that the release of the report was "timely".
"We know our job is not done in recovering and rebuilding in the aftermath of those horrific bushfires," she said.
"We think of those who experienced the trauma and pain every day, and those who are still in recovery mode, recovering from that horrific bushfire season."
NSW Labor is urging the Premier to provide a timeline for the rollout of recommendations from the inquiry and detailed funding for that process in the upcoming budget.
Of the recommendations, Mr O'Connor said he was glad to see that landowners would be obliged to conduct more hazard-reduction burns on their properties and that the RFS may intervene if they fail to do so.
"We don't want people just lighting up 100 acres or more, without the right resources and protection," he said.
"Most brigades get call outs because people have not done a burn right nor followed the rules. It needs to be done correctly. I'd like to see the nuts and bolts of how those burns will be implemented."
Balmoral resident Mick Duggan will never forget the day the Green Wattle Creek fire tore his town on December 21.
The force of the blaze, like "a train coming through the bush with a jumbo jet pushing it", will be etched in his mind forever.
He and several others had to shelter in the RFS shed as the fire came dangerously close to engulfing them. Thankfully, a helicopter had water bombed the shed and Fire and Rescue crews hosed down the building.
After living through that day, Mr Duggan firmly believes and supports the recommendation that landholders should be able to clear their property through hazard reduction burns.
"I have always cleared my land, off my own back," he said. "It is just common sense.
"I'm sure if people aren't experienced in it then they can approach the RFS to supervise.
"If I hadn't cleared my land for all these years than I would not have a house."
Mr O'Connor said he was also supportive of aerial water bombing occurring at night but said it was risky and would require specialised equipment in the aircraft.
"Another recommendation I like is putting 200-metre fire breaks around fire-prone villages," he said. "That allows the RFS to implement back-burning more easily. That is a real positive.
"I am also glad the inquiry recommended the RFS and government look into providing better personal protective equipment to firefighters.
"Not every firefighter can have breathing apparatus, but we do have to look at better ways to protect ourselves other than P2 paper masks."
Mr O'Connor said he would also like to see a review of the paid staff at the Southern Highlands RFS command.
The captain said he was pleased the inquiry recommended an expansion of in-house mental health support for RFS volunteers and free mental health services for firefighters post-event.
"I am very happy they are looking into more mental health support for RFS members," he said.
"We need help. First responders are not always the ones to put up their hands so we have to be watched more closely and as an organisation, they have to be more proactive.
"The summer of bushfires was exhausting for the brigade both physically and mentally. It has taken a big toll on everyone."
As firefighters prepare for the next bushfire season, their usual training has been hamstrung by COVID-19 restrictions, with only new members receiving training.
"Most brigades won't be well prepared," Mr O'Connor said. "Those who fought the fires, especially on December 21, wouldn't have gotten that day out of their heads.
"There hasn't been a great deal of debriefing or discussion about the season because of COVID.
"A lot of people had situations where they thought it would be their last day. I had that a couple of times.
"I don't think many who were there during those bad days will be quite ready for the next season."
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