Australian firefighter Ged Curtis chatted about being a part of the 30th anniversary Australian Firefighters Calendar, which helps a lot of different charities.
Since its launch three decades ago, the Australian Firefighters Calendar has donated millions of dollars to Australian charities and has become the world’s most popular calendar. “It was awesome,” he admitted. “This was my first year of doing the calendar. It was a really good experience. Being a dad now, it is good for my kids to see in the future what their father did.”
“My favorite day was taking photos with the dogs,” he said. “I’m a massive dog person, I grew up with dogs my whole life and the dogs are awesome to play with.”
Proceeds from calendar sales over the last three decades have supported medical research into sourcing better methods to treat severe burns in children. “The 30th anniversary is a pretty substantial occasion,” he said. “It’s a special time and it will be remembered for many years to come. The calendar has gotten bigger and bigger over the last few years.”
The calendar also has a proud history of supporting animal refugees and Australian Wildlife in the past and that will continue into the future. “I was really happy getting involved with this calendar, and it was awesome to do something that they give back to,” he said.
Curtis opened up about his own firefighting experience and service. “I have been a firefighter for the last 6.5 years,” he said. “In my previous life, I worked as an accountant for three years. The desk job was not for me, and my best mate got me into firefighting and that was the best decision I’ve ever made. It is such a rewarding career, and I haven’t looked back since. I will do this job until I retire.”
Daily motivations
On his daily motivations as a firefighter, Curtis said, “The biggest thing is helping the community, obviously. To be able to help out in any way is the most amazing feeling. When people tell you ‘thank you,’ it is the most incredible feeling. It is such a rewarding career.”
The digital age
Curtis opened up about being a firefighter in the digital age. “It’s good and bad. It’s awesome in this day and age, but you need to be careful when you go to emergencies because people have their phones out and are on social media,” he said.
“Technology makes things more accessible to everyone, so it’s a great tool to promote the calendar,” he added. “20 years ago, we wouldn’t have been able to promote it like that, but now there is social media and all of these different platforms that make it possible.”
‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
To help celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the Australian Firefighters Calendar, several calendar firefighters were invited to Los Angeles to appear on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in October. “It was such an awesome experience for them to be on that show. Kelly Clarkson is pretty big so it was pretty special for them to appear on that show,” he said.
The firefighters also appeared in a series of segments on NBC’s popular “Access Hollywood,” CBS’s “Entertainment Tonight” and FOX’s “Good Morning LA.”
To repay the support that their American fans have shown, the Australian Firefighters Calendar will continue to support U.S. charities for the second year in a row.
Rescue Rebuild, a shelter renovation program of Greater Good Charities, recruits volunteers from across the U.S. to renovate animal shelters, domestic violence shelters, veterans housing, and homeless shelters. The Rescue Rebuild team has completed 175 renovations that have helped more than 3,200 people and more than 720,000 pets.
Donations from this year’s calendar help to support the Council of Australian Volunteer Fire Associations (CAVFA). The funds will be used to supply the much-needed equipment for our army of volunteer firefighters.
The Australian Firefighters calendar continues its support of the Kids With Cancer Foundation. Since 1998, the work this foundation does in supporting Australian families and hospitals around the country is nothing less than extraordinary.
The calendar will also benefit the following nonprofit organizations: Australian Seabird Rescue, Fauna Rescue of SA, Healing Hooves, Native Animal Rescue, Wildcare Inc., Safe Haven Animal Rescue, Best Friends Felines, and All Breed Canine Rescue Inc.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Curtis revealed, “Dad Life.”
Advice for hopefuls
For young and aspiring firefighters, Curtis said, “I recommend this career to all of the young kids because it’s the best career to do for anyone, any gender, and any age. Even for people in their 40s, and looking for a career change, it is a great job to get into. It was the best decision I ever made in my life.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Curtis said, “Achieving something in your life that you love and achieving it in your full potential. That’s what success means to me.”
In swimming, he listed the “breaststroke” as his personal favorite stroke, and in track and field, he noted that he would run the 800 meters race.
Rapid Fire Questions
Curtis also took some time to answer some “Rapid Fire” questions.
Waffles or pancakes? Pancakes
Flying or driving? Flying
City living or country living? City living
Summer or winter? Summer
Library or museum? Museum
Bath or shower? Shower
Pepsi or Coke? Coke
Texting or calling? Texting
Half-full or half-empty? Half-full
Curly fries or normal fries? Normal fries
Skydiving or scuba diving? Skydiving
Indoor pool or outdoor pool? Indoor pool
Tea or coffee? Coffee
Rain or snow? Rain
Singing or dancing? Singing
Burgers or tacos? Burgers
Long course or short course pool? Short course pool
Money or fame? Money
To learn more about the Australian Firefighters Calendar, check out its official website, Facebook page, and follow it on Instagram.
