The skill came in particularly handy in January, 2018 when he was involved in a car crash on Lumley Road, near his Windellama home.

The vehicle landed on its roof, Tom broke his spine and his mother, the only other occupant, was trapped inside, suffering shoulder and head injuries. With no mobile phone reception to call for help, her son stabilised her breathing and rendered first aid before running several kilometres home to get his father to call an ambulance.

Fortunately, his mother recovered. But the first aid skills learnt as a member of the Windellama Rural Fire Brigade stood him in good stead.

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On Friday, the 20-year-old was recognised for his four-year-service when he was named the Southern Tablelands and South Coast Young Volunteer of the Year at a ceremony in Queanbeyan.

He was honoured for his "outstanding volunteer rescue service" with the RFS and as part of a fire rescue team at the Goulburn Speedway.

"It was pretty nice," he said rather modestly.

On hand was his proud father, Brendan, who nominated Tom. It was Brendan who inspired his son to join the RFS at just age seventeen.

"Dad is deputy captain of the Windellama Brigade and has been a member for 14 years," Tom said.

"I thought it was a good way to get out in the community and help people."

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In just four years he's undertaken specialised firefighting training, has served three years as the brigade's health and safety officer, two years as a crew leader and attended more call-outs than any other brigade member, according to the nomination. These have also included bushfires, house fires, car accidents and medical emergencies.

Tom was Windellama's firefighter of the year for two years running and in 2018 he was chosen in a 20-member Southern Tablelands strike team to fight major fires at Milton. Also that year, he fought large blazes near Tarago (Currandooley) and Bannaby (Long Gully), the latter in rugged conditions.

At Nerriga, earlier this year, he assisted paramedics in stabilising a motorcycle crash victim and rendered first aid to two army personnel who had fainted after stopping to help at the scene. The bike was leaking fuel and Tom also provided initial fire suppression.

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He said his training was a great help.

"I run through my training in my head before I arrive and then just focus on what's in front of me and what I can do to make the situation safe," Tom said.

He told The Post he intended to remain a volunteer firefighter for many years yet.

"It's pretty diverse and I get to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and ages," he said.

"I like to make a difference to people's lives."

As one of the award finalists, Tom will be invited to attend a gala ceremony in Sydney where the NSW Volunteer of the Year will be announced.

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