So, he joined the NSW SES Gilgandra Unit and within 13 months completed his training and became a qualified General Land Rescue Operator, where he now puts his skills to use to help save lives in the region.
"The whole reason I joined was because my dad lived on a rural property and suffered from a heart attack. We lost him three weeks later," Will said.
"I was talking to the Unit Commander, and I thought it would be good to try and help those who need it."
Today, at almost 26 years old, Will has attended more than 260 incidents, including around 100 rescues, supporting his tight-knit community through road crashes, flood operations and animal rescues.
"Over the years we've attended several major truck crashes involving single vehicles, trucks and cars, and trucks and caravans. We average about one road crash rescue a month," he said.
"We're also a qualified large animal rescue unit, so I've attended horse entrapments, a dog trapped in a well and even a kitten stuck under a house."
No matter the time of day or night, Will is ready to respond when the pager sounds.
"If the phone wakes me up, I roll over, spring out of bed, put the uniform on, call myself on the radio and head to the Unit," he said.
"I'm at the Unit within seven minutes and on the job within 15."
One rescue that struck a chord with Will was when he unknowingly freed his colleague's sister who was trapped during a multi vehicle accident.
"I asked my friend to cover my shift at work so I could go out on the rescue, and it wasn't until days later that I found out the people we rescued were actually her sister and nieces," Will said.
"She was incredibly appreciative that we got them out of the car and straight to the ambulance. She was lost for words.
"You get a lot of satisfaction knowing you were able to get there, get them out safely and get them the help they need."
In addition to supporting the Gilgandra community, Will is a qualified land-based and on-water flood rescue operator and has been deployed to flood emergencies across the state.
And as the Unit's Training Coordinator, he is also helping mentor new and upcoming volunteers as they complete their accreditation pathways.
"We've had three new young members join, so I've been spending time getting them trained up and and ready for the road," he said.
Will has been selected to represent the NSW SES Western Zone at Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day) celebrations in Sydney on 20 May, as part of National Volunteer Week.
The NSW SES is encouraging communities across the state to wear a splash of orange on WOW Day to show appreciation for the thousands of volunteers who dedicate their time to supporting communities during storms, floods, rescues and other emergencies.
Will said he doesn't do what he does for the glory and the awards.
"We do it for the community. Wearing orange is more than just a uniform, it's a sense of pride."
