Latest news with #BeattheBurn
The Advertiser
10-08-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
The special reason these Swansea firies donned 25kg of gear for 14km
FOUR Swansea firefighters have taken on the 14-kilometre City2Surf race in Sydney, while wearing 25 kilograms of gear, for a cause close to their hearts. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) deputy captains Alicia Fry and Rhyss Grigg, and firefighters Ben McGlinn and Mark Hooper, raised $6000 for Beat the Burn, a campaign supporting the Burns Unit at Westmead children's hospital. Mr Hooper's son, Jamieson, suffered third-degree burns to 20 per cent of his body when he was just 18 months old. His family spent two weeks at the specialist unit while baby Jamieson was treated and had surgeries. Mr Hooper's inside look at what the burns unit does was one of the reasons he was motivated to join FRNSW. Now, his two little boys love fire trucks too. It also made the Beat the Burn cause extra special for the Swansea crew who tackled the City2Surf race on Sunday, August 10. They slogged it out from the Sydney CBD to Bondi, via the notorious Heartbreak Hill, with a group of more than 60 firefighters, with about 40 donning full structural gear. With helmets and tanks, it added about 25 kilograms of weight for each of them. "It was epic. It was really fun and a massive, massive achievement for all of us," Deputy Captain Fry said. "It was hot, heavy and tiring, but we just had such good motivation to do it ... especially knowing that one of our own has utilised the services and it has made a life-changing impact to his family." The team felt the support from the crowd, too, with people cheering for them around every corner. The four Swansea firefighters travelled back to the Hunter on Sunday afternoon. "I can't wait to put my feet in some ice water," she said. The $6000 raised by the Swansea crew contributed to the $158,294 that has been raised for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation via the Beat the Burn platform, almost doubling last year's efforts. Beat the Burn is a year-long campaign that started in 2006. It's now a multi-event campaign aimed at raising funds, sharing prevention messages and spreading awareness for kids with life-changing burns. FOUR Swansea firefighters have taken on the 14-kilometre City2Surf race in Sydney, while wearing 25 kilograms of gear, for a cause close to their hearts. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) deputy captains Alicia Fry and Rhyss Grigg, and firefighters Ben McGlinn and Mark Hooper, raised $6000 for Beat the Burn, a campaign supporting the Burns Unit at Westmead children's hospital. Mr Hooper's son, Jamieson, suffered third-degree burns to 20 per cent of his body when he was just 18 months old. His family spent two weeks at the specialist unit while baby Jamieson was treated and had surgeries. Mr Hooper's inside look at what the burns unit does was one of the reasons he was motivated to join FRNSW. Now, his two little boys love fire trucks too. It also made the Beat the Burn cause extra special for the Swansea crew who tackled the City2Surf race on Sunday, August 10. They slogged it out from the Sydney CBD to Bondi, via the notorious Heartbreak Hill, with a group of more than 60 firefighters, with about 40 donning full structural gear. With helmets and tanks, it added about 25 kilograms of weight for each of them. "It was epic. It was really fun and a massive, massive achievement for all of us," Deputy Captain Fry said. "It was hot, heavy and tiring, but we just had such good motivation to do it ... especially knowing that one of our own has utilised the services and it has made a life-changing impact to his family." The team felt the support from the crowd, too, with people cheering for them around every corner. The four Swansea firefighters travelled back to the Hunter on Sunday afternoon. "I can't wait to put my feet in some ice water," she said. The $6000 raised by the Swansea crew contributed to the $158,294 that has been raised for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation via the Beat the Burn platform, almost doubling last year's efforts. Beat the Burn is a year-long campaign that started in 2006. It's now a multi-event campaign aimed at raising funds, sharing prevention messages and spreading awareness for kids with life-changing burns. FOUR Swansea firefighters have taken on the 14-kilometre City2Surf race in Sydney, while wearing 25 kilograms of gear, for a cause close to their hearts. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) deputy captains Alicia Fry and Rhyss Grigg, and firefighters Ben McGlinn and Mark Hooper, raised $6000 for Beat the Burn, a campaign supporting the Burns Unit at Westmead children's hospital. Mr Hooper's son, Jamieson, suffered third-degree burns to 20 per cent of his body when he was just 18 months old. His family spent two weeks at the specialist unit while baby Jamieson was treated and had surgeries. Mr Hooper's inside look at what the burns unit does was one of the reasons he was motivated to join FRNSW. Now, his two little boys love fire trucks too. It also made the Beat the Burn cause extra special for the Swansea crew who tackled the City2Surf race on Sunday, August 10. They slogged it out from the Sydney CBD to Bondi, via the notorious Heartbreak Hill, with a group of more than 60 firefighters, with about 40 donning full structural gear. With helmets and tanks, it added about 25 kilograms of weight for each of them. "It was epic. It was really fun and a massive, massive achievement for all of us," Deputy Captain Fry said. "It was hot, heavy and tiring, but we just had such good motivation to do it ... especially knowing that one of our own has utilised the services and it has made a life-changing impact to his family." The team felt the support from the crowd, too, with people cheering for them around every corner. The four Swansea firefighters travelled back to the Hunter on Sunday afternoon. "I can't wait to put my feet in some ice water," she said. The $6000 raised by the Swansea crew contributed to the $158,294 that has been raised for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation via the Beat the Burn platform, almost doubling last year's efforts. Beat the Burn is a year-long campaign that started in 2006. It's now a multi-event campaign aimed at raising funds, sharing prevention messages and spreading awareness for kids with life-changing burns. FOUR Swansea firefighters have taken on the 14-kilometre City2Surf race in Sydney, while wearing 25 kilograms of gear, for a cause close to their hearts. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) deputy captains Alicia Fry and Rhyss Grigg, and firefighters Ben McGlinn and Mark Hooper, raised $6000 for Beat the Burn, a campaign supporting the Burns Unit at Westmead children's hospital. Mr Hooper's son, Jamieson, suffered third-degree burns to 20 per cent of his body when he was just 18 months old. His family spent two weeks at the specialist unit while baby Jamieson was treated and had surgeries. Mr Hooper's inside look at what the burns unit does was one of the reasons he was motivated to join FRNSW. Now, his two little boys love fire trucks too. It also made the Beat the Burn cause extra special for the Swansea crew who tackled the City2Surf race on Sunday, August 10. They slogged it out from the Sydney CBD to Bondi, via the notorious Heartbreak Hill, with a group of more than 60 firefighters, with about 40 donning full structural gear. With helmets and tanks, it added about 25 kilograms of weight for each of them. "It was epic. It was really fun and a massive, massive achievement for all of us," Deputy Captain Fry said. "It was hot, heavy and tiring, but we just had such good motivation to do it ... especially knowing that one of our own has utilised the services and it has made a life-changing impact to his family." The team felt the support from the crowd, too, with people cheering for them around every corner. The four Swansea firefighters travelled back to the Hunter on Sunday afternoon. "I can't wait to put my feet in some ice water," she said. The $6000 raised by the Swansea crew contributed to the $158,294 that has been raised for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation via the Beat the Burn platform, almost doubling last year's efforts. Beat the Burn is a year-long campaign that started in 2006. It's now a multi-event campaign aimed at raising funds, sharing prevention messages and spreading awareness for kids with life-changing burns.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hero dog honored after legendary career catching criminals: 'He's responsible for putting a lot of people in jail'
A heroic dog in Australia has been rewarded for his work in helping fire investigation teams and boosting the safety of his human co-workers. Gandalf the detection dog is a more seasoned pup passing on his wisdom to the next generation of service animals — and now he has an award to prove he is indeed "a very good boy," as Australian Community Media (@australiancommunitymedia) highlighted on TikTok. Australia's Fire and Rescue New South Wales announced in April that Gandalf, who has been with the department since 2018, was honored as the 2025 Canine Hero of the Year in the Service Dog category at the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Sydney Royal Easter Show. The team credits Gandalf with fearlessly going into hazardous areas and quickly pinpointing how the fires started. His work means investigators spend less time in those fire-ravaged areas, which can contain toxic chemicals that threaten human health. Gandalf is able to quickly identify fire accelerants, helping him find evidence in arson and homicide investigations. "This award is a fitting tribute to the work Gandalf has done for our team and the community," Tim Garrett, FRNSW canine team leader, said. "Gandalf has an incredible ability to work through chaotic, post-fire environments and identify the smallest traces of ignitable liquids." The veteran pup's work is all the more essential as Australia grapples with the effects of rising global temperatures. In 2020, as bushfires devastated southeastern Australia during "Black Summer," World Weather Attribution found that human activities associated with a warming climate — such as the burning of dirty fuels — had raised the country's bushfire risk by at least 30%. While upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and unplugging wallet-draining "energy vampires" are among the ways to reduce the heat-trapping pollution you generate at home, Gandalf's nose remains a powerful deterrent for potential fire-starting perpetrators, as he has worked a number of high-profile arson and homicide cases. "He's actually responsible for putting a lot of people in jail," an announcer honoring the canine noted during the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Sydney Royal Easter Show. At the end of the year, Gandalf is retiring from the Fire Investigation and Research Unit. However, Siren, one of the veteran's mentees, is in the newest class of detection dogs. What type of food do you feed your pets? Conventional kibble Canned Fresh Insect-based Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "He's been incredibly tolerant and patient with his new excitable sidekick, Siren," Garrett said. "He's passing the baton in the best possible way." Gandalf's prize money from his Canine Hero of the Year award will go toward Fire and Rescue NSW's Beat the Burn — an event focused on raising funds for the burns unit at the Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation, per the department's Facebook. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
