Kiama resident Darin Sullivan was elected as State President of the NSW Fire Brigades Employees’ Union.
Kiama firie voted State union boss
July 01, 2009
Section: News
EMMA SPILLETT
espillett@kiamaindependent.com.au
PROTECTING other’s rights took on a new meaning for long-serving firefighter and Kiama resident Darin Sullivan this week when he was elected as State President of the NSW Fire Brigades Employees’ Union (FBEU).
Mr Sullivan has been a full-time firefighter for nearly 20 years, following in the footsteps of his father.
“My father was a full-time firefighter at the airport and my wife’s family are all involved in firefighting, so I joined when I was 20 and I haven’t looked back,” he said.
Beginning his career in the NSW Fire Brigade headquarters in Sydney, Mr Sullivan made the decision to move from Sutherland to the South Coast and soon took up the station commander position at Dapto Fire Station.
“As kids, we always holidayed on the South Coast and I had always wanted to return so I made the move and we’ve been in Kiama for nearly 15 years,” he said.
Mr Sullivan has been heavily involved with unionism in the area, leading the Illawarra sub-branch of the FBEU for the past four years and representing the Illawarra on the State Council.
He has also been strongly involved with the South Coast Labour Council on a number of community issues and achieved statewide notoriety last year during an altercation with ex-NSW treasurer Michael Costa.
“We lobbied against Costa outside WIN Stadium over pay restrictions for public service workers and didn’t realise how much attention we would get,” he said.
