Meet the man behind the drone

While most members patrol on land and sea, our Support Operations Volunteer of the Year, Tony Greenfield, is our eye in the sky through the Drone Patrol program.

Joining Mullaloo SLSC 21 years ago, Tony has proven to be one of our most ambitious and driven members, contributing significantly to the success of the drone surveillance programs.

To get to know Tony better, we asked him some of the important and not so important life questions. Check out what he had to say below…

Did you grow up with the beach? We moved to Scarborough when I was 14 and I spent all my spare time down at Scarborough beach with my mates.

When and where did your surf lifesaving journey begin? I got into surf lifesaving when my own kids joined as Nippers in 1998.

What is your favourite date on the SLSWA calendar? Christmas Day: being a voluntary patrol, it’s great to get down there first thing in the morning among an enormous number of families celebrating Christmas. Everyone is in a great mood, really friendly and relaxed. It’s a great way to start the day before the family come over for lunch.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? I’m a really keen landscape photographer.  Most of my holidays are planned around photography opportunities. My wife Viv and I have both joined a photography club to further develop our skills in our spare time.

What is the most shocking, interesting or funny thing you have seen on a drone camera during a drone patrol? Thankfully, nothing of serious concern yet, but what I regularly see that concerns me is how ignorantly some people drive their boats in areas where there are swimmers and surf crafts.

If you could time travel, when would you go?  The early 1900’s to be part of the expedition that discovered the Northwest Passage (passage in the Arctic Circle that joins the Atlantic and Pacific oceans). The expedition faced some seriously difficult conditions in their exploration, and I would have loved to have been involved in such a challenge. I’ve been deep into the Arctic Circle in winter a few times and just love it.

What is your spirit animal and why? Dolphins: There is something special about them and how they are one with the ocean. No matter how many times you see them, every time I’m in the water with them I can’t help but stop and watch them.

Describe your perfect weekend? On the beach with the family. My wife, daughter and son-in-law all patrol with me and the grandkids are nippers at Mullaloo SLSC. It’s great when we can all get down there for the weekend.

Dogs or cats? Dogs, absolutely.

Does Pineapple belong on pizza?  Everything belongs on a pizza, especially pineapple!

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Salmon, cooked any way at all.  I was on a cruise on the Norwegian coast once where I managed to eat salmon for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. It was what I imagine heaven would be like!

What does Surf Life Saving mean to you and how has it shaped who you are today? Surf Life Saving helps create a positive difference in the community we live in and sharing a healthy lifestyle with family and other like-minded people. Volunteering really helps keep me grounded and I really think that has positively affected my professional work life.