Goodwood Rural Fire Brigade (RFB) first officer Richard Greatorex does not consider missing his left arm to be a disadvantage.
Since establishing the team of Bundaberg region volunteers nearly 30 years ago, he has led them through some of the worst fires in Queensland's history, including the 2019 Woodgate blaze.
"I don't look at it as a disability, it's a physical challenge," Mr Greatorex said.
"People would not so much judge, but they would think 'he's not capable of doing this, that or the other thing'. You just have to prove yourself.
"I've just got to work a bit harder, I guess."
After a car accident in 1982, Mr Greatorex's arm was amputated. He also suffered severe injuries, including damage to his right arm and a shortened leg after breaking his femur in a "couple of places".
Lifting gear including hoses, wearing heavy equipment and running machinery are all part of the role of the volunteer rural firefighters.
Mr Greatorex stresses it's vital for the volunteers to remain physically fit.
He walks his dog through the bush for several kilometres every day and trains weekly at the station.
But he believes getting older has been more confronting than his disability.
"It's more of a challenge when your knees start to give you a bit of grief, climbing in and out of trucks all day, you soon know about it," Mr Greatorex said.
"You are dragging in hoses, you are rolling them up, moving trucks, using drip torches, it's always a test.
"You can do a lot of stuff with one arm, I don't think you should let it hold you back."
Every Wednesday morning volunteers meet at the Goodwood Rural Fire Brigade for debriefs, training, a catch-up and tuck into some delicious scones.
The team have a deep respect for Mr Greatorex and his ability to predict fire behaviour and keep the crew safe on the frontline.
Facing fires with trust
Teacher Brett McCook, who has been volunteering at Goodwood for more than two years, is thankful for all the guidance he has received from Mr Greatorex.
"He's a very good instructor. He's very good at his job, he looks after his troops," Mr McCook said.
"He's good on the fire ground. He knows a lot about fires."
And as for the missing arm, Mr McCook said he quickly forgot when he witnessed Mr Greatorex in action.
"You wouldn't know he's got a psychical challenge — the things I've seen him do," Mr McCook said.
"He's got a great attitude, nothing holds him back.
"Fire situations bring out the leader in him, determined, resilient, adaptive. He blows my mind."
Mr McCook says the Goodwood team have a deep trust in Mr Greatorex and each other.
Gail Peterson has been involved with the Goodwood brigade since 2014 and also trusts Mr Greatorex with her life.
"There has been a few freaky experiences and I've gone 'what, we are going there?' but I go, 'OK, I trust you'," she said.
And Ms Peterson said any concern about the physical challenge of battling fires with one arm soon faded when she saw the first officer at work.
"You just don't notice [it]. He does everything we do with two [arms] with one," Ms Peterson said.
"Putting the hose on, turning the branch off and on, he does it with one hand and uses his knees to click it on and off.
"It's very inspiring."
Changing face of fires
Being the only original member of the Goodwood Rural Fire Brigade, Mr Greatorex has strong local connections and an understanding of the local environment.
Over the years, he has witnessed many changes in funding, technology and equipment but it's the changing fire conditions that has him most concerned.
In 2006, Mr Greatorex battled his first fire of a "major scale".
But it was the 2019 Woodgate fires that proved a true test of the firefighters' skills, as they strove to protect about 1,000 residents under threat in the beachside community.
"The wind picked up, the fire got into the canopy and it pushed it straight towards Woodgate," Mr Greatorex said.
"It didn't matter how much water you poured on it, it made no difference, it was so intense.
"The first officer at Woodgate, Michael Claffey, put in a backburn that protected the northern side of Woodgate, but on the southern side it was gone."
No lives or property were lost in the blaze that lasted several weeks, many people believe due to the effort of the local crews.
"Fires have changed considerably here," Mr Greatorex said.
"Once upon a time you could rely on the humidity in the evening coming in, so if you had a fire the intensity would drop right out of it and you could pretty much go home and get back on to it before the sun and put it out pretty easily.
"Now the fires will burn intensely through the night because we don't have the humidity."
With fires becoming more intense and burning for longer in the region, Mr Greatorex encourages the community to become involved with the rural fire service.
He also hopes people of all abilities feel motivated to enquire about joining.
"People come along to the fire service, they all have something going on," Mr Geatorex said.
"At a volunteer level, I'm happy to try all people out and make something work."
Mr Greatorex has been nominated as a 2022 Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) (RFDS) Queensland Hero.
