Approachable, gentleman, and passionate are some of the descriptors you'll hear when discussing former Griffith Fire and Rescue deputy captain Gerry Rizzeri.
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The loved firie retired in January after 27 years of service, during which he responded to thousands of callouts and helped save lives and properties during the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires.
The man of the moment said he was inspired to sign up to the then Griffith Fire Brigade after witnessing his family home being destroyed by fire when he was just eight years-old.
"I had that drive to do something for the community," Mr Rizzeri said, who was 21 when he joined in October 1994.
"They're proud moments when you're able to get there in time and save somebody's home from complete loss, especially if it's a young family with young kids."
"I'll miss the camaraderie and the professionalism and being part of an organisation that really clicks together."
Griffith deputy commander Matt Hunter described Rizzeri's departure as a loss for the community.
"Gerry was great. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes early on," Mr Hunter said.
"He's an unsung hero who always got the job done and put the community first."
Mr Hunter was not alone in his admiration for his former mentor.
"He had a passion for doing his job well, and he really cared about what he did and the people who worked with him," said former deputy commander and current superintendent, Mike Van Den Bout, who worked with Mr Rizzeri for six years.
Firefighter Chris Evans worked with Mr Rizzeri for 10 years and said his former superior maintained such a position of respect that he never even swore.
"Firies, like a lot of tradies, swear," Mr Evans said. "I've never heard one swear word come out of Gerry's mouth."
"He used the word 'flippin' a lot."
Firefighter Steve Apolloni simply described his retired deputy as level-headed, neutral and a gentleman.
Mr Rizzeri had similar fond memories of his tenure at Griffith Fire and Rescue, including the time the glass visor on his helmet completely melted in a house fire.
"I was on a ladder and half my body was in the roof cavity with the hose and my partner was supporting the ladder," he said.
"I could feel it getting hotter so I said to my partner 'I'm coming down'. He misunderstood me and thought I'd said 'stop me from falling down' so he locked me into the ladder."
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Mr Rizzeri said by the time he'd finally escaped the burning house, the rest of his team was shocked to see the glass visor on his helmet had melted so severely that it resembled rock-solid Styrofoam.
"There were a lot of 'flippins' thrown around at my helmet and my partner," Mr Rizzeri laughed.
Mr Rizzeri said his proudest moment as a firefighter was being dispatched as part of Strike Team Lima to help quell the inferno at Dargan and Clarence during the Black Summer bushfires.
His unit won a commendation award for meritorious service.
"That was unprecedented. I've been to a lot of bushfires but nothing to that extent," he recalled. "I had the privilege of saving many lives, property and livestock.
"That's one of my proudest moments."
Despite the awards, melted helmets, and camaraderie shared with his fellow firefighters, Mr Rizzeri said he was looking forward to the next stage of his life.
"I've been doing this for well over half of my life. My family's getting older, I'm getting older and the priorities have changed," he said.
"I wanted to make room for younger recruits to come in and join the brigade."
Mr Rizzeri also said retirement hasn't slowed down his day-to-day, with the former deputy captain now focusing on renovating his house and also having recently married off one of his daughters.
However, he said he will never forget his time serving the Griffith community.
"The satisfaction you get from serving your community and being able to do something not every person is able to do is so rewarding," Mr Rizzeri said.
"I'll miss the crew as well, but the friendship will always be there."
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