Firefighting vet swaps Australian outback for Hampshire search and rescue

Amanda Paul, who works as Head of Internal Medicine at High Wycombe-based Hamilton Specialist Referrals, spent years volunteering as a firefighter in her native Australia.

Now she is spending much of her free time with the voluntary organisation which works alongside the police in searches for vulnerable missing persons in Hampshire.

Amanda, who grew up around the National Park in Australia, was used to summer being fire season and joined the volunteer fire service during her vet studies at university.

She went on to become a senior team leader and tackled numerous deadly wildfires around Sydney.

“You go through some terrible experiences and live through terrible situations like seeing people’s houses burn down with the kids’ Christmas presents under the tree,” said Amanda, who took up her role at Hamilton Specialist Referrals, which is part of nationwide vet group IVC Evidensia, last year.

“I remember a family, plus their pigs, chickens and dog sitting in the fire truck while we tried to save their home. It’s a part of your life you never forget, and you learn lessons about what’s important.”

Amanda and her crews faced dangerous situations where the unpredictable blazes, whipped up by high summer temperatures and strong winds, almost enveloped them.

“There were times when the fire was jumping over us, and we had to get into the truck and get the spray bars on to protect ourselves.

“In one instance in Sydney where we could hear the fire coming towards us like a freight train.

“There were people there who’d been drinking and when we told them we were leaving as we couldn’t stop it, they wouldn’t go. We had to get the police to make them move to save their lives.

“We had to go, and you realise that your life and the lives of your crew are more important.”

Moving to the UK to further her vet career meant Amanda had to give up her firefighting, which on occasions took up almost as much time as her proper job.

But having been inspired to volunteer by her late father, she was determined to keep helping.

“My dad was the reason I joined as a firefighter,” said Amanda, who now trains and goes on regular missions with Hampshire Search and Rescue. “He believed that if you live in a society, you have to give back to it.

“We work with the police looking for high-risk individuals, some who may have Alzheimer’s or are elderly.

“It’s often with bigger teams rather than the fire crews that were almost like a small military unit that became like family.

“But working with like-minded individuals from all walks of life to try and find people is a nice way to be able to contribute.”