SIX volunteer Country Fire Authority firefighters who stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they represented the thousands of men and women battling devastating bushfires around the nation were met with loud applause from the crowd at the Men's Australian Open Final on Sunday night.
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During the pre-match formalities, District 15 members Stewart Soulsby and Billy Smith, District 16 member Rod McErvale and District 12 members Chris Buzzard, Yorin Miller, Shanon Frith stood wearing their wildfire turnout gear on the centre court at Rod Laver Arena during the rendition of the national anthem before they were applauded by the crowd.
The firefighters also formed a guard of honour outside the player's tunnel as the men's tennis finalists, Novac Djokovic and Dominic Thiem, walked on to the court ahead of the match.
Third Deputy Group Officer of the Ballan Group, Billy Smith, said local brigades had responded to an increased number of call-outs so far this year and so the recognition of their efforts by the wider community had been "very moving".
"CFA was formed to protect the lives and property of those in the local community and it's been overwhelming to receive such great support in return," Mr Smith said.
The moving experience was intensified by Novak Djokovic's decision to shake each firefighter's hand prior to taking to the court.
Tallarook Fire Brigade firefighter Chris Buzzard, who had been deployed to New South Wales and has been involved in firefighting in the north-east this fire season, described the experience as "unbelievable".
"It was such a heartfelt moment, it was beyond belief to be honest," Mr Buzzard said. "I think a few of us were close to tears."
He said that during his time on the fire ground he has seen some devastating areas of burnt land and destruction caused by the fires.
"It's been an eye-opener and we're doing what we can to help.
"The public support of firefighters across the country has been phenomenal. To have the entire crowd on their feet standing was great and something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
Tennis Australia hosted a Rally for Relief event on January 15 to raise funds for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.
Since the event, the donations have continued to roll in, with the current tally sitting at $5,818,861 with the help of the Aces for Bushfire Relief program, in which players have donated each time they have hit an ace.
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