When Josateki Vunimasi was awarded his firefighting qualification among community leaders and friends at a graduation ceremony in regional Victoria, it was the realisation of a long-held dream.
At his home in the Fijian village of Namatakula, he decided he wanted to become a firefighter after seeing news of the tragic loss of kangaroos and koalas during the 2019 Australian bushfires.
Years later, he is one of nine Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) workers in north-west Victoria who have completed their Country Fire Authority (CFA) General Firefighter certificate and will join the ranks of brigades in Swan Hill and Woorinen as operational volunteers.
"It is great," Mr Vunimasi said.
"It has been a life achievement for me.
"When I was in Fiji, this is what I wanted to do — fight fire.
"I wanted to save lives and help the community and help the wildlife especially."
The training can take several months to complete and involves both theoretical and practical assessments.
It is compulsory for volunteers wanting to undertake operational duties, including containing and extinguishing fires.
Fellow PALM worker and CFA graduate Allan Whippy said the course was challenging but very rewarding.
"It is good to learn new things and to help the community with firefighting," he said.
"I am so happy to be part of the Swan Hill brigade. There is a lot to learn but we are getting into it.
Boosting the ranks The nine graduates are among a group of more than 40 PALM workers in Swan Hill who are employed by labour hire firm Whales Regional Workforce and work at a meat processing facility.
Many of them lost their jobs in Fiji during the COVID pandemic.
Since arriving in the regional city, they have been looking for ways to become involved in the community and have been volunteering at local events, including Harmony Day and Australia Day celebrations.
"They were a great help last year during the floods in October and November," Michael Howard, captain of the Swan Hill CFA Brigade, said.
"They hadn't done their General Firefighter course by that stage, but they were still CFA members and helped out with the sandbagging efforts, filling them up and laying them out."
Mr Howard and his colleagues ran regular drills with the volunteers in the lead-up to their assessments and he said seeing them graduate was a proud moment.
"They are laid back and always really happy, we have a laugh and a joke with them," he said.
"They will provide that extra support especially over summer when we have the majority of our fires.
"It is really good for our brigade and the community."
Ready and willing Swan Hill has a small but growing Fijian population, bolstered significantly by the PALM scheme.
The federal government program allows businesses to employ Pacific and Timor-Leste workers to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia.
Fijian community leader Jonah Ovini helps recent arrivals find their feet in the region and said volunteering with the CFA was a great way to build connections.
"It shows that we respect the Australian community and that we like to offer our help during natural disasters," he said.
"This is the first time ever PALM workers have become certified firefighters."
"It is a big achievement and they have set a benchmark for other PALM workers around Australia.
"It is not just about coming to work; it is about engaging with the community and trying to learn new things in life."
Having celebrated their CFA graduation, Mr Vunimasi said the recruits would now have the chance to give back to the region.
"I am looking forward to my first time out on a job," he said.
"Whether it's Code 1 or Code 2, I am ready to go."
Story by Mildura-Swan Hill/ Francesco Salvo
Original story link https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-04/fijian-palm-workers-graduate-cfa-training-course-swan-hill/102554046?fbclid=IwAR2eK4VT0cuMsYL0ZVcJW7v1-tjRf-m5DViJJzu-lvZWy2b1XX7DCpgKSas
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