Epping firefighter Murray Talbot said he’s honoured to be recognised in the Australia Day honours with an Australian Fire Service Medal, but said he’s only doing his job.
Mr Talbot was honoured for distinguished service as a member of an Australian fire service, having been part of it for 39 years.
He was recognised for having a profound positive effect on young people involved in fire risk and improving the safety of young people involved.
Speaking before Australia Day, Mr Talbot said it has been a nice little secret that he has been hiding for a number of months.
“It’s a bit of an honour,” he said. “It’s a bit of recognition for the people in my office.
“I found out by letter from the Governor General. I was sent a letter about October saying I had been recommended for it and whether I wanted to accept it.
“I let my wife know and showed her the letter so she knew she couldn’t say anything to anyone.
“I’m just looking forward to Sunday.”
Mr Talbot started in the MFB, which is now FRV, and spent the majority of his early career in South Melbourne and Carlton.
He then went into day work and worked a bit in stations in the northern area zone.
Mr Talbot said he started at the MFB when he saw a program that he thought was a good program.
That program was the Firelighting Consequence Awareness Program (FireCAP) which is a fire safety educational program for children-young people who partake in fire risk behaviour.
“I took over the coordination of it in 2000,” he said.
“I needed some time off shift and started doing the FireCap program. Got it re-energised and it needed a lot of work to get it up to a good standard.
“Everytime you started doing something, there was always something to go or needed clearing up, that’s why I’ve been doing it for so many years.”
Mr Talbot said it’s an important program which involves a number of other different services to provide the best support needed.
Having worked with Victoria University in research a number of time, he assisted in establishing a behavioural risk tool.
“Firefighters would go out to the families and just didn’t have the tools” he said. “This behavioral risk tool once it was filled out by the family, it actually gave a score and provided scope to referral to other services that could assist the young person and family in reducing any further fire risk behaviour.”
The Victorian program is nationally and internationally recognised, with Mr Talbot saying they worked hand in hand with each other.
Mr Talbot has also worked with Victoria Police and the juvenile justice system.
He said a lot had changed since he took over the program.
“It used to be just firefighters going out and hoping we changed the young persons fire risk behaviour, now it’s a multi agency approach dealing with fire risk behaviour.
“We’ve got to work with the other services it’s best for the family and young person.”
