Nulla Vale Country Fire Authority (CFA) now have access to more fire fighting equipment and supplies, thanks to a generous donation courtesy of Boronia CFA.
Though located more than 85kms from each other, the two brigades have teamed up for a supportive and community-minded partnership, with the large, city-based team donating unused equipment from their brigade in exchange for some good, old-fashioned, rural off-roading fire fighting experience and training.
Nulla Vale CFA Secretary Leanne Freestone said the partnership would benefit both brigades and the communities they represented and protected.
“They’ve sort of partnered up … we’ll take them around and show them around the area and in the future, they’re hoping to come and do some joint training exercises with us,” she said.
“And then hopefully … if we have a big event, they’ll be able to come and assist, and provide a bit of back up.”
Boronia CFA Captain Ramon Relph said the decision to support the Nulla Vale unit was a collective one.
“We decided as a brigade to help out other brigades that needed some assistance … and Nulla Vale came up on our radar,” he said.
“I spoke to Luke [Freestone, Nulla Vale CFA Captain) as to what they needed, and I spoke about the equipment and the age of the equipment so we decided to … donate some hoses, and some new branch [pipes], as well as some other equipment that we’ve got that was sitting at the station, that we thought, ‘Well, we’re not using this, we can assist this brigade here.’
“It was more of a ‘What can we do to help?’. We’re in a pretty good position in Melbourne, but we know what the bridges out further are struggling with … and it was a members’ idea to see what we can do to help other brigades, so that’s how it all came about.”
The Nulla Vale unit currently have 28 members and 12 firefighters, but are always on the look out for more.
To enquire about joining, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/volunteers-careers/volunteer-with-cfa/apply-to-volunteer.
