Comments on: America’s spirit of engagement puts Australia to shame http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/11/17/americas-spirit-of-engagement-puts-australia-to-shame/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:14:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ngobody http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/11/17/americas-spirit-of-engagement-puts-australia-to-shame/#comment-13674 Ngobody Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13674 Before we so quickly write off the ANZAC culture, have some thought for the volunteer fire fighters and others cross the country. There are some 70,000 in NSW alone. We are on call 24 x 7 and in rural NSW this is THE service that responds to motor vehicle accidents, house, grass, commercial & bush fires as well as supporting State Emergency Services (SES), Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) - a couple more volunteers - or supporting Dept of Primary Industries in locust plague activities.<br /><br />Were you to review what occurs in USA in fires you would find a small group of professional fire fighters loosing hundreds of vacant homes to fire where residents have been evacuated. Compare against Australia - we have very small numbers of professional fire fighters with larger numbers of professionally trainer volunteers that work together with the community to prepare and defend itself. Were you looking for an example of community engagement I would strongly suggest that this is one that is a superior example of when it matters AND it works - It's the ANZAC spirit of helping out and as volunteers we are putting our lives on the line. Before we so quickly write off the ANZAC culture, have some thought for the volunteer fire fighters and others cross the country. There are some 70,000 in NSW alone. We are on call 24 x 7 and in rural NSW this is THE service that responds to motor vehicle accidents, house, grass, commercial & bush fires as well as supporting State Emergency Services (SES), Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) - a couple more volunteers - or supporting Dept of Primary Industries in locust plague activities.

Were you to review what occurs in USA in fires you would find a small group of professional fire fighters loosing hundreds of vacant homes to fire where residents have been evacuated. Compare against Australia - we have very small numbers of professional fire fighters with larger numbers of professionally trainer volunteers that work together with the community to prepare and defend itself. Were you looking for an example of community engagement I would strongly suggest that this is one that is a superior example of when it matters AND it works - It’s the ANZAC spirit of helping out and as volunteers we are putting our lives on the line.

]]> By: Margaret http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/11/17/americas-spirit-of-engagement-puts-australia-to-shame/#comment-13675 Margaret Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13675 This is a very different take on US voluntarianism from that of Don Watson in American Journeys where for example the citizens of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina were deserted by the Government and relied on various groups mostly Christian for survival. Not necessarily a good thing This is a very different take on US voluntarianism from that of Don Watson in American Journeys where for example the citizens of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina were deserted by the Government and relied on various groups mostly Christian for survival. Not necessarily a good thing

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