What will it take to make a change?

It shouldn't have to be that way, but last week's mistreatment of youths in the Northern Territory's judicial system proves the point.

Unfortunately, good news stories don't cut the cloth.

But Farm Weekly can't resist them and hopefully this story may find its way onto the desks of the prominent city people who rule the government with a disdain similar to a fiddling Nero.

It's one of many stories that could be written about volunteers.

In 2002, a bushfire nearly engulfed and destroyed the Bremer Bay township.

Local farmer and current officer-in-charge of the Bremer Bay Volunteer Fire and Emergency Unit John Iffla recalled last week the disaster that locals tamed amid a lack of support from regional staff with fires breaking out everywhere throughout the Great Southern.

"Then FESA (Fire and Emergency Services Authority) staff were swamped responding to the fires and we did not see anyone for four days," Mr Iffla said.

"At peak holiday periods, the population of Bremer Bay goes from 400 up to about 10,000 in a town with one road in and out.

"FESA's organisation was made more difficult with a communication tower destroyed in early stage of the fire and it didn't take long after the fire for the locals to set up what is now a fully professional volunteer fire and emergency services unit."

By 2005, the Bremer Bay community had funded and built one of the first fully located emergency services buildings in the State, with funding assistance from FESA, St John's Ambulance and the local volunteer marine rescue

The Jerramungup Shire Council donated the land and also contributed manpower for earthworks and provided a project manager.

The shed houses pooled resources, including two fire trucks, a fast attack 4x4, one road crash rescue truck (complete with the jaws of life), one 8.5 metre Naiad sea rescue boat and one ambulance, housed in a spare bay run by St John Ambulance.

Half of the volunteer "firies" also are involved in marine rescue and, of course, there's no shortage of help attending motor vehicle incidents.

The unit recently received Lotterywest grants to fund an emergency back-up generator, while Lotterywest, local government and the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW) provided funding for a new facility at the local airport.

This includes an improved landing and refilling facility for water bombers, a 110,000 litre tank, a bore that produces 100L per minute and an air-conditioned, skid-mounted building with lunch and restroom facilities to improve efficacy for aerial support to the community.

It's the type of community ethic that's in tune with getting things done, such as handling the Bremer Bay fire in 2012 and numerous fires in the adjoining Fitzgerald National Park.

And, perhaps surprisingly for some, the local brigade works well with local government, DFES (Department of Fire and Emergency Services) and DPAW.

"It's all co-ordinated locally and works well," Mr Iffla said.

"Where this community can see large problems ahead is the lack of experienced support to back us up."

That seems to be the sticking point with all bush fire brigades and Mr Iffla said it could easily be overcome by encouraging rural people to look at career pathways in firefighting.

"It wouldn't be hard to set up a core of experienced people trained in bushfire management and operations working at a local and regional level throughout the State," he said.

"And this sort of structure would encourage young people into career pathways."

It's a sensible proposition which underlines some concluding comments by Victorian Country Fire Authority chief Euan Ferguson, in his report on the inquiry into the Waroona and Yarloop fires, which was released in June:

"At the centre of all this is community,'' he said.

"Individual citizens, families, neighbourhoods and interest groups strive for understanding, self-reliance and empowerment, then they will develop social capacity and cohesion to cope better by themselves.

"This calls for a shift in thinking and a re-framing of the way in which rural fire is managed in the State."

The $64 million question is: Will the "prominent city people" care?