By Anica Hattingh
Student firefighter volunteers who juggle student life with battling fires. Left to right: Liam Proctor, Emma Collins, Zach Ambrose and Dario Consani. Photo: Anica Hattingh
The Western Cape is no stranger to fierce wildfires each year. What most might not know is that 13 Stellenbosch University (SU) students form part of the Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) program. As South Africa’s largest volunteer firefighting organisation, the VWS has attracted these students to its mission of combating wildfires across the province – though each student’s initial motivation to join is unique.
Emma Collins, a third-year BCom (Management and Marketing) student, who moved to Stellenbosch from the Eastern Cape three years ago, shared that she was not used to the scale and nature of the wildfires that seem so prevalent to some regions. “The Constantia fires last year January [were] a big eye opener to how wildfires do affect the Western Cape,” Collins shared. She continued to share that being a part of a community, such as the VWS, that makes “a visible difference”, is what has kept her motivated to keep volunteering.
For students such as Dario Consani (third-year BA (Sport Science)) and Liam Proctor (third-year BSC (Human Life Sciences)), the promise of doing something interesting and thrill-seeking, while helping the community at large, was what motivated them to sign up. Proctor, who comes from a family of first-responders, shared that there comes a moment for each volunteer firefighter where they are faced with two options – “either walking away or [realising that] this is [where they are meant to be]”.
While the initial motivation when signing up plays a crucial role, Zach Ambrose (a third-year BEng (Mechanical Engineering) student) emphasised that it is a deeper, personal reason that ultimately sustains volunteers in the role. “If you don’t have a strong reason why you’re doing this, it’s going to be very difficult for you to keep at it,” Ambrose shared.
An epic race against time – a helicopter drops water on raging fire. Photo: Supplied by Dario Consani.
So, while serving as a volunteer firefighter might mean “missing a lecture or two or facing blazing fires head-on” according to Proctor, these students showcase that it is precisely through these challenges that their commitment is strengthened. It’s a commitment to serve, protect, and stand in the gap for others in moments of crisis that keeps them motivated.
