Name: Helen Mairinger
Position: Bush firefighter/Assistant catering
Nickname: Raiser
Age: Old enough to know better, young enough to do it again
Birthplace: Bowral
What brought you to Kangaroo Valley? My parents moved to the Valley when I was six months old.
Marital Status: Single
Children: Three awesome kids – Damian, Jess and Troy. One gorgeous grandson, Gus.
Current profession: Tafe Services Co-ordinator Nowra, South Region, TAFE NSW.
When did you join the RFS? I did my Bush Firefighter training in 2020, but have been involved with KV brigade all my life.
What motivated you to join? My youngest son, Troy, as we did this training together.
What is most rewarding to you being a volunteer with the brigade? The friendships.
Any challenging moments during your training? Rolling the hose. OMG, rolled it perfectly the first time I ever did it… but now, not a chance, I’m the champion of spaghetti mess. It’s all over the place.
Who is your mentor(s)? My peers. That is my parents, Franz and Lorraine, and all members of the RFS.
How does being a volunteer benefit you personally? It allows me to grow personally and professionally, meeting and connecting with many people from all walks of life. You’re never too old to learn.
What advice would you give those wishing to volunteer? Just do it! It’s fun, challenging, rewarding, full of surprises. You definitely won’t regret it.
What was your role during the Currowan Fire? I was involved with an awesome group of boys and girls and responsible for feeding and hydrating everyone who came through our shed. So many amazing people we all got to meet under the worst of circumstances. Stocking the refreshment fridge with essentials and milk always caused a huge laugh and banter. We got known as ‘The best Station’, and we couldn’t have done that without the generosity of the local community helping us to keep everyone on their game with delicious home-cooked food, cakes, slices and treats.
Do you have a funny story you can share? We were doing a paddock burn for a local dairy farmer at Wattamolla, a couple weeks after we got our new PC (ute). That night, I leant what all the buttons meant on the dash, trying to get out of the paddock, and not to scratch the vehicle on the fence; with the lights flashing, I hit the sirens by accident, all chaos let loose as I got on the road and headed back to the station to get more drip torch fuel. The neighbours to this property certainly knew the Firies were around. I knew my fellow comrades were having the biggest laugh. There were also a few cars that went bush when they saw me. If you want to know anything about our PC, just ask. I’ve tested it out.
What motivates you? To learn something new every day.
What makes you smile? My kids and family.
What cartoon character most resembles you? Road Runner: with my current workload I’m always running.
What were you like as a kid? Fantastic of course, just ask my mum… I was a perfect child.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Originally a vet nurse, but with my reluctance to be at school, that was never going to happen.
What was your best subject at school? Getting on the bus to come home.
What inspires you? My kids. For them to see mum happy, thriving, and enjoying life.
If you could be any age for a week, what would it be? Five to six; annoying my brother and sister was great fun.
Who is your favourite band? Don’t really have a favourite at the moment, but anyone country gets my attention.
What keeps you going? The bills.
What piece of clothing do you wear the most? My slippers when I can find them; my dog constantly hides them.
What cheers you up the most? My kids, seeing them smile and happy is the best reward I could ever ask for.
Explain yourself in five descriptive words: Approachable, caring, great listener, eager to learn (even at my age), honest.
Interviewer – Tracey Basman
Community Engagement Assistant
