'Scruffy' hangs up the helmet after 40 years as a firefighter

For more than 40 years, Paul Scragg woke up each morning embracing the unknown challenges of any given day as a firefighter. Now, after a distinguished career that spanned major state disasters, decades of regional service and thousands of callouts, the Wangaratta fire veteran is hanging up his helmet. Reflecting on his four decades on the frontline, Mr Scragg, or 'Scruffy' as he was affectionately known, said he couldn't have been more blessed with his time in the service. “I really can’t complain, I’ve had a fantastic job and been blessed with wonderful colleagues, staff, and volunteers to work with over the years,” he said. His journey in emergency services began long before he ever set foot in the North East. Mr Scragg began as a teenage volunteer in 1975 in his hometown of Pearcedale, near Frankston. “It was a one-horse town down by the general store that was there,” he said. “You'd shoot down to the store and get some milk or something like that, and three hours later you got home because you knew every man and dog in there.” After a few years at the Pearcedale brigade Mr Scragg went to Cranbourne before taking up the firefighting job full-time in 1984 in Dandenong. “I really enjoyed it as a volunteer, I enjoyed the challenges of everything, the camaraderie, and helping out people at their worst times,” Mr Scragg said. He moved to Wangaratta in 1991 after receiving a promotion to be a Commander at the local station. Mr Scragg said it was common for paid firefighters to be deployed to regional posts to “earn their stripes” and put themselves in a good position for further promotions in other parts of the state, or the city. “But I came up here, fell in love with the joint, and never left,” he said. For an outdoor lover, Mr Scragg said Wangaratta’s central location within the North East country and the peaceful and welcoming community appealed to him. “I do a lot of four-wheel driving and camping and all that sort of stuff. It's just a great place to live, great place to raise a family,” he said. There was lots to like about the community, but Mr Scragg said his main passion always lay in the challenge of assisting others and working with many passionate volunteers across the region. “Before I joined the fire service I had other jobs and I'd lie there in the morning before going to work, but for 40-odd years you go, ‘oh beauty, wonder what today holds for me’," he said. “When I first came to Wangaratta, I was the only staff member on each shift, so there were four staff members, but you were on your own and relied on all the volunteers to help you when you had a job. “The volunteers are absolutely fantastic; they're still underrated for the amount of time and sacrifice they put in.” Across many campaign fires, Mr Scragg said his biggest deployments were the Longford gas explosion in 1998, the Hazelwood mine fire in 2014 and many campaign fires within the region, particularly across the King Valley. “I loved the challenge of it all and diversity of it, going to fires elsewhere in the state and interstate,” he said. “When helping others you’ve just got to be understanding and sympathetic, and try to assist them wherever you can and guide them on the way forward.” CFA Deputy Chief Officer Garry Cook has worked alongside 'Scruffy' since he received his promotion to Wangaratta in 1991. Mr Cook said when thinking about words to adequately describe Mr Scragg, three stood our among the rest. "Caring, knowledgeable and reliable,” he said. “He would always be there with a quiet word of advice, and his care for fellow firefighters through his peer support role helped countless members post their exposure to emergencies. “Paul has been a wonderful contributor to the CFA across the North East for the past 35 years and his total service in CFA since beginning with Pearcedale brigade as a volunteer is truly outstanding. “I’m sure many CFA members from across Victoria join with me in wishing Paul all the best as he moves to a well-deserved retirement.” Now in retirement, Mr Scragg said he was looking forward to travel while also making improvements on his Killawarra property.

'Scruffy' hangs up the helmet after 40 years as a firefighter

New Queen of Norway has Wangaratta ties

Wangaratta Chronicle, Friday, 4 September, 2026