New South Wales RFS deny claims hero firefighter who exploded at Scott Morrison after battling a raging bushfire was fired
- Firefighter Paul Parker’s rant against Mr Morrison while battling blaze went viral
- He told the prime minister ‘to get f***ed’ in an extraordinary rant to a TV camera
- Mr Parker has taken time off from the NSW RFS since viral outburst in January
- Service said it was because of exhaustion and firefighter was never facing sack
- But Mr Parker claimed on Sunday night a brigade chief told him he was ‘finished’
- The NSW firey said he was told ‘you’re finished because of your foul language’
New South Wales fire service confirmed that Paul Parker is still a member of the company and has not been dismissed.
The volunteer fire fighter claimed he was sacked after he was filmed erupting in a foul-mouthed rant where he criticised the prime minister while battling bushfires on the state’s South Coast in early January.
In the viral clip, Mr Parker told Scott Morrison ‘to get f***ed’ before he collapsed on the grass.
However, New South Wales fire service has denied Mr Parker was fired and says reports he has been let go were false.
News South Wales Rural Fire Service volunteer Paul Parker’s rant went viral after his foul-mouthed criticism of the prime minister in front of TV cameras in early January
‘The NSW RFS is aware of reports concerning the status of volunteer member Paul Parker from the Nelligen area. We can confirm Paul remains a member of the NSW RFS and has not been dismissed,’ NSW RFS said on Twitter on Monday morning.
The NSW RFS confirmed at the time the firefighter had been asked to stand down from his duties, but denied it was related to his comments.
On Sunday Mr Parker said he had been told by a brigade chief with the state’s rural firefighting service he was ‘finished’ because of his verbal tirade.
‘There were comments with gestures and arm movements saying that I’m finished – (that) it’s all over,’ he said on The Project.
‘Another captain from another brigade within Batemans Bay come out and I asked him ”what’s going on?”
‘He said ”you’re finished because of your allegations and foul language against the prime minister of the country while representing the RFS”.
‘I didn’t know you could get sacked from a volunteer organisation but apparently you can.’
On Sunday Mr Parker (pictured left with his wife) said he had been told by a brigade chief with the state’s rural firefighting service his career was over because of his comments to the TV camera
The Rural Fire Service said Mr Parker was tasked to take time off volunteer work because of exhaustion (pictured lying down on ground exhausted following rant) and the firefighter was never facing sack, but he claimed he was told he was finished
Mr Parker also explained the reasoning behind his televised outburst, saying it was a response to Mr Morrison’s earlier comment that rural firefighters should not be paid.
Since taking time off from the RFS following the fiery outburst to camera, Australians have donated hundreds of dollars to his bar tab at his local pub in the small village west of Batemans Bay.
Publican Joel Alvey told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Everyone has been a great support by donating money for Paul.’
Donors have left money to shout Mr Parker a schooner, while some cash has been given directly to the hotel.
Mr Alvey said there was about $500 donated by Thursday and an additional $200 had been given on Friday morning following heightened media attention.
The publican, who was an RFS member for the past 20 years, said Mr Parker visits the hotel ‘quite regularly’.
Mr Alvey thinks Australians were keen to throw their support behind the firefighter because he ‘said the words everyone was thinking at that time’.
‘That’s Paul, he says what he thinks,’ Mr Alvey explained.
‘We already had a couple of weeks of fire and that was the breaking point. Everyone who was in that truck was feeling the same way.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the RFS for further comment.