Firefighter John Lazzarotto was recently awarded a medal for 65 years of service.
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Abby Green
A bitterly cold night. The air nipping at your skin, a thin blanket for warmth and the shelter of a fire truck. The sound of trees cracking, falling all around as you wait for day to break.
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More than six decades later, the memory remains vivid for firefighter John Lazzarotto — and still the scariest night he can recall.
Most people would be thinking about retirement after 65 years of service, but for the Boosey Creek Brigade member, stepping away has never crossed his mind.
Mr Lazzarotto joined the Cobram Fire Brigade at about 17 years of age and, now approaching 83, remains just as dedicated to the role as he was when he first signed up.
He said he joined the brigade after a neighbour encouraged him to apply because of his running ability.
At the time, he was known locally as a strong runner, and his neighbour suggested he join the brigade's running team.
After being invited to attend a meeting, he went along and left the meeting that night a fully qualified firefighter.
For Mr Lazzarotto, firefighting has always been a family affair.
His two older brothers served as firefighters in Wangaratta, and the tradition has carried through to the next generation, with his sons Richard and Ben.
Richard now leads the Boosey Creek Brigade as captain.
Cobram Fire Brigade members in the early 1960s: Joe Hollands, Ray Bourke, Ted Smythe, Bill Ellerlton, Adrian Doyle and John Lazzarotto.
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After five years with the Cobram Fire Brigade, Mr Lazzarotto married and moved to the Boosey Creek Brigade, where he has remained for the past 60 years.
Looking back, he said the most rewarding part of the job had always been simple.
“When you would help somebody,” he said.
He said several years ago they used to do training sessions at a local high school, and he loved teaching the kids, some of whom went on to be firefighters.
“Our tankers would go in about twice a month to the school and coach kids to be qualified firemen,” Mr Lazzarotto said.
The fire that has stuck with Mr Lazzarotto the most was one in Mudgegonga many years ago.
“The first thing we saw as we drove into the town was tapes all around a gate where two people had been burned in a house,” he said.
“We were following this little dog track into the mountains, and you could see this enormous glow in the sky, and on one side you could see it burning all through the mountains...”
Ben, John and Richard Lazzarotto.
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The brigade went into the valley where a man had been fighting for two days and two nights to protect his home from the fire, taking over operations and staying through the night.
“It just turned bitterly cold,” Mr Lazzarotto said.
“Some blokes were curled up inside the truck, but there's five of us, and five blokes in a truck is not good.
“A couple of us pulled ourselves under the truck, we had a blanket, and we just covered ourselves up and waited for daylight.
“All night you could hear the trees falling like crash, bam, boom. Then it’d go quiet and after a while you’d hear crack, crack, crack, constantly.”
The next day, the crew had to cut their way out with chainsaws after fallen trees blocked the track they had driven in on.
“That was the most frightening fire that I've ever had,” he said.
Mr Lazzarotto has also been a first responder to multiple fatal road crashes.
“The first responder is the first crew that arrive on scene, so it’s pretty hard,” he said.
“They were pretty horrific.
“You don't forget them, you never forget those things.”
Despite the difficult moments, he said camaraderie had always been a defining part of brigade life.
“There’s not one person in the brigade that I don’t get on with,” he said.
