Above: CFA photographer Keith Pakenham’s award-winning photo Out at Last.By Shaun Inguanzo
DANDENONG firefighter and photographer Keith Pakenham has received a 20-year service medal from the Country Fire Authority (CFA).
When he’s not saving houses and freeing people trapped in cars, the volunteer firefighter is still on the scene to provide award-winning photography used by local media, coroners and as evidence for insurance agencies.
Mr Pakenham, 50, is often seen with his trusty digital camera in hand at a variety of emergency call-outs.
He is the only authorised CFA volunteer photographer in the state and says he has snapped 51,000 shots of Greater Dandenong firefighters in action over the past five years.
Mr Pakenham was last month recognised for 20 years’ service to the CFA at the Region Eight Annual Awards Dinner at Dandenong Workers’ Club.
On the same night he was named runner-up for the region’s firefighter of the year, with those duties always taking precedence over his on-scene photography.
Or, as Mr Pakenham said, saving lives before taking photographs.
“My main commitment is doing my job first,” he said.
“We once had a garage fire in a street behind mine and I rocked up there before the trucks.
“The only thing is I didn’t get too many shots of the garage alight.”
That was due to Mr Pakenham’s and the brigade’s hard work, which extinguished the blaze in a matter of minutes.
“By the time I grabbed the camera I missed all of the flame shots,” he said.
Mr Pakenham began his CFA service with Noble Park in February 1984, where he rose to brigade captain before taking a break after 17 years of service.
He then joined Dandenong brigade where he has happily photographed and fought fires since 2002.
