Rural Fire Service veteran Kevin Adams is being honoured for his lifelong commitment to fire management with an Australian Fire Service Medal.
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As a man of few words, Mr Adams lets his fire management skills do the talking.
He lives in Darlington Point and has protected communities across the country for the past 20 years, going interstate when required.
In 2001 Mr Adams spent a month managing fire in the Snowy Mountains.
“You do what you've got to do,” he said.
“If we don’t do it, it just gets away.”
Mr Adams grew up on the land and has been fighting fires since he was a “whippersnapper”.
“If you lived on the farm, you helped out,” he said.
From humble beginnings with the RFS, Mr Adams now manages resources within the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.
He also coordinates brigades comprised of volunteers and paid staff who often put themselves in life or death scenarios.
Mr Adams believes the key to success within emergency services is developing a culture of trust and responsibility.
“If they tell me something’s happening on the fire ground I have to trust what they’re telling me,” he said.
He has nothing but praise for his fellow staff, particularly the volunteers.
“Volunteering isn't just about fighting fires.
“It’s about being a part of your local community and protecting your local community.”
While his Australian Fire Service Medal bio states that he has pioneered fire management initiatives that have resulted in very successful outcomes, Mr Adams has been very humble about his achievements.
“Pioneered? No, I just pinch ideas from everybody else and use them,” he said.
Mr Adams is praised for his role in setting up the MIA zone by the Australia Day awards judges.
“In the area of fire suppression, he has taken on the role of Incident Controller and other senior positions at many fires within the MIA Zone, across New South Wales and interstate to South Australia and Victoria,” the judges note.