Victorian firefighter and advocate Simon Lund was honoured at a funeral in Gippsland today, remembered for his commitment to others even in the final days of his life. Lund, who passed away from work-related cancer, spent his last months campaigning for broader protections for emergency service workers in similar roles.
More than 500 mourners, including top fire officials and Labor MP Harriet Shing, gathered in Churchill to pay tribute. Family friend Kellie O’Callaghan described Lund during the eulogy as “the kind of person who left a mark on every life he touched,” praising his loyalty, kindness, and unwavering sense of duty.
CFA Acting Chief Fire Officer Garry Cook presented Lund’s wife, Tracie, and their three children with a Chief’s Commendation for exemplary service. “I wish I could pick up the phone and say, ‘Lundy, it’s Cooky, you deserve this,’” Cook said during the ceremony.
Tracie Lund, in a heartfelt tribute read by O’Callaghan, reflected on her husband’s enduring legacy. She linked his illness to the devastating Hazelwood mine fire, where he had worked at the frontline. “In the cruellest twist, the very disaster that brought our family to the front line would come back to us in the cruellest way,” she said.
As Mr Lund’s casket was driven away in a vintage fire truck, over 100 CFA members formed a solemn guard of honour.
Lund, 56, served more than 25 years as a senior technical field officer with the CFA. He was diagnosed with stage 4 oesophageal cancer last year, which his doctor linked to prolonged exposure to smoke and toxins, including during major chemical and mine fires.
Despite having cancer listed under Victoria’s 2019 presumptive rights legislation, Lund was not automatically covered due to his IT-focused role. The law currently excludes professional, technical, and administrative workers from its definition of “firefighter,” forcing him to prove his case through decades of documentation for WorkCover.
A week before his death on May 12, Lund told the ABC that this system needed reform. “I don’t want anyone to go through that when they should be spending time with their family and their friends and their colleagues,” he said.
Lawyer Ross Sottile, who assisted Lund’s WorkCover claim, explained that while Lund had the required diagnosis and service duration, the legislation’s narrow definition meant he faced unnecessary hurdles. “The definition just did not cover his role,” Sottile said, noting delays in care and compensation result when such workers are excluded.
Sottile added that many non-operational fire staff face similar exposure risks but are overlooked by current legal frameworks. “It’s not just our firefighters who are exposed to these carcinogens,” he said.
The Australian Services Union is now campaigning for legislative changes to include all fire service staff who attend incidents or work in hazardous environments. Victorian branch secretary Tash Wark, who attended Lund’s funeral, said the union is also pushing for better systems to track staff exposure.
“Simon’s greatest legacy will be his fight to change presumptive laws to include his training and administration colleagues,” Wark said.
While Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward declined to comment, a government spokesperson has previously stated Victoria will continue reviewing whether the current legislation adequately reflects the risks faced by emergency workers.
