For almost 50 years Shaun Arnold has volunteered for his local Country Fire Service, but more recently he has become aware of an element of the job he does not like.

The captain of the Waikerie brigade in South Australia's Riverland said verbal abuse from the public was causing some volunteers to quit, a reality he does not want as fire danger season gets underway .

The verbal abuse usually occurred at crash sites and other emergency scenes, where CFS volunteers would man road closure signs and direct traffic, Mr Arnold said.

Younger people, particularly young women, seemed to be the ones targeted the most – including his own daughter, he said.

Mr Arnold has had enough.

"We get a lot of four-letter language," the CFS captain said.

"Some of our younger members don't want to go to th

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