The South Coast protection coordinator informed members about his recent international deployment where more than 130 Australian firefighters flew to the United States to help battle bushfires raging along the west coast.

Mr Condie is a remote area firefighter and worked in fire management as heavy equipment boss and division supervisor on the Klondike Fire in Oregon for six weeks during August and September.

He said the deployment was an amazing opportunity to see how fire-fighting agencies manage and respond to major incidents on the other side of the world.

“It was a chance to build our experiences. I’ve come back with ideas and a renewed enthusiasm for what we do locally,” Mr Condie said. “[It] was like concentrated learning – we were sent in to do a job and we had to step up and do it to the best of our abilities.”

He said it was fantastic to meet other firefighters and also the local residents who were appreciative of the help from the Aussies. “I was struck by the camaraderie of the firefighting staff,” Andrew said.

“Apart from the accents, it was like working with Aussies back home. Everyone was there to help the community and worked with respect for each other. I could slot straight in and start making a difference from the start.”

He also worked on the devastating Tathra fire earlier this year and has also been deployed to fires in Western Australia. All attendees at the meeting thoroughly enjoyed his address and wished him all the best and safety with firefighting.