A friendly face at this week’s State Firefighting Championships at Norah Head on the Central Coast will be Wyong firefighter Matt Perry.

Matt is one of the local stars of the This is the life social media campaign which tells the story of what’s great on the Central Coast.

“I agreed to be in the This is the life campaign because I think it is really important that we tell people about the wonderful things that are here on the Central Coast,” Matt says.

A proud Coastie who grew up in Mangrove Mountain, then spent 10 years in Sydney and now lives in Wyong, Matt says the Central Coast gives him everything he needs to live a happy and balanced life.

“I love the sense of connection to the community, the outdoors, the people and the lifestyle on the Central Coast,” he says.  “You’re close to lots of great spots for camping, four-wheel drive and fishing, I particularly like fishing near The Entrance.”

With a wish to give back to community and a long term dream to become a firefighter, Matt jumped at the chance when a part-time position as a retained firefighter became available at Wyong Fire Station shortly after he returned to the Coast.

His role is heavily involved with the local community and Matthew says the sense of ‘togetherness’ is strong amongst everyone who works at the station. Protecting the locals and responding to emergencies form a large part of his day-to-day life.

Read more about Matthew’s story at thisisthecentralcoast.com.au/our-stories and follow the Central Coast on Instagram @thisisthecentralcoast and via the hashtag #thisisthelife.

Cheer on our firefighters this week

Come along and have a chat to Matt and cheer on firefighters from all over the State at the 2016 NSW Fire & Rescue’s State Firefighting Championships at the Norah Head Sports Ground on Bungary Road on Thursday 27 – Saturday 29 October 2016.

The Championships showcase the skills and expertise a modern firefighter uses every day, be it attacking a fire or responding to a major emergency.

Matt will be at the Norah Head ground this week supporting the Wyong Fire Brigade as they defend their state champion titles in two of the 14 events and battle it out to become overall State Champions for 2016.

He’s supporting them by being “on the pump” – firefighter lingo for manning the firetruck – and will conduct community education during the event while ensuring a core crew are on standby in case of a sudden call out.

The public are encouraged to come along and take up the rare opportunity to see firsthand just how firefighters respond to emergencies.

Families that come to the event can pick up vital fire safety tips to help prepare and prevent fires and emergencies before they happen.

The community is also invited to come to an event at Memorial Park, The Entrance, on Friday 28th October from 5pm to 9pm. The event will include:

• Displays from Fire and Rescue NSW
• Emergency Service Displays from other Agencies (Police, SES, RFS and VRA)
• A firefighter torchlight parade along Marine Parade
• Fireworks to conclude the evening

The 2016 NSW Fire & Rescue’s State Firefighting Championships are proudly sponsored by Central Coast Council.

For details on the event visit firefighterchampionships.com

Photos available on request.