A FORMER Country Fire Authority group officer for Whittlesea-Diamond Valley has been recognised for his 58-years of service to the CFA with a road named after him at the new Central Highlands Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre.
Max McLean began volunteering for the CFA at 14 years old at Moyston Fire Brigade, then transferred to Plenty Fire Brigade where he went on to becoming captain at 29.
He served as captain for 21 years before moving into the role as group officer for Whittlesea-Diamond Valley.
Mr McLean said he was honoured to have a street named after him at the training facility.
“It’s a great honour that someone put my name forward and I know that I’ll be in great company with the others who have had streets named after them,” he said.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan met with most of the 10 CFA members being recognised with street names.
“It was an honour to meet with most of these members and their family representatives and in a small way acknowledge with a certificate and replica road sign the significant contribution they’ve made to our organisation,” Mr Heffernan said.
“From some of CFA’s ground-breaking women – such as the first female Captain, first female Group Officer and first female recipient of an Australian Fire Services Medal – to some of our longest-serving driving instructors, trainers and assessors, it is fitting that their names live on long into our very bright future.”
The state-of-the-art training facility opened near Ballan last week, with the $31 million dollar facility allowing CFA volunteers and other emergency service personnel to prepare for real-world emergencies in a safe environment.
Set on an almost 40-hectare site, the training facility includes ‘live fire’ simulations, firefighting props, an off-road driver training track and specialist training and breathing apparatus facilities.
The campus also includes an administration block with four theory classrooms, which can be opened and expanded into two rooms for larger groups, with audio/visual facilities
