Australia: "F" word gets Fire Captain axed

Bonehead news: Firefighter John Willis dumped after Black Saturday outburst

A FIREFIGHTER with 40 years experience has been axed for swearing during the Black Saturday bushfire crisis.

John Willis lost his job as captain of a Gippsland brigade for swearing on emergency radio when his crew allegedly ignored instructions and put their lives at risk.

The CFA said the fireman was stripped of his rank after at least two outbursts during last month's tragic inferno.

But Mr Willis said he was singled out because he said "f-ck" out of frustration when his crew tackled a fire against orders.

At the time, the dairy farmer was battling a blaze on his property that threatened a house and burnt out 50ha of pasture.

"If I did swear, it was out of frustration, not anger. When it (a fire) is on your own dunghill, it's a different story," he said.

"I did have a bit on my plate."

The row follows a TV slip by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who described the economic crisis as a "political shitstorm".

Mr Willis said he was forced out as captain of the Carrajung brigade, south of Traralgon, by local operations manager Greg Flynn.

"He virtually demanded I resign because I swore at my guys. These blokes had gone the wrong way and put themselves in danger," he said.

Mr Willis said he reapplied for the captain's job at a recent meeting but was not accepted because of the swearing incident.

He said his neighbors didn't take offense when they heard him swear on a citizen's band UHF.

They took cakes to his property the next day, he said.

Mr Willis, who has been demoted to the rank of firefighter, has been a CFA member since his mid-teens.

He has travelled on his own time to hundreds of fires - in Victoria and interstate - and worked at car accidents, storms and other emergencies.

But CFA executive manager of public affairs Robert Hogan said there had been three complaints in the space of four days about "bullying language" by Mr Willis.

One came from a strike team leader and another was from a sector controller.

Mr Hogan said that Mr Willis had been counseled during the previous two years over his behavior.

"He wasn't a suitable person to represent his brigade, let alone CFA in a senior role," Mr Hogan said. "He's got a history of that sort of behavior."

He said the CFA would be criticized if it did not step in.

Mr Willis said he had an exchange with a strike team leader after he failed to stop a fire outbreak heading for his property, but denied having words with a sector controller.

"Bullying? That's crazy. Unbelievable," he said.

A senior colleague of Mr Willis said swearing was understandable in such a high-pressure situation.

"He's got home to find a fire in his back paddock. I believe on the occasion of him swearing, he had lost half his farm to fire," he said.

The CFA's decision to demote Mr Willis had caused widespread disappointment in the community, the volunteer said: "A lot of people are upset about this."

A regional meeting tonight will discuss the issue. Mr Flynn said it would not be appropriate to comment.

Source: www.news.com.au - Link