Yarrawonga brigade’s Christmas pressies put to good use

Christmas pressies put straight to good use

Volunteers from Yarrawonga Fire Brigade, 60 kilometres north-west of Wangaratta, have been making the most of a big Christmas haul after gaining a new light tanker, field command vehicle (FCV), and approval for a thermal imaging camera. The new equipment is a welcome addition to the local fleet, with Captain Cade Phillips saying Yarrawonga Fire Brigade has worked hard for the new tanker. “It was mainly the hard work of the previous captain, Laurence Pitches,” Cade said. “He applied for the VESEP grant, and after trying for about five years we got it last year. “Sausage sizzles at Bunnings, and some big donations including one from Club Mulwala helped us to get it.” The new tanker was an early Christmas present, arriving on Christmas Eve. “It was online within about five days, and it went on strike teams all the way out to the Upper Murray when the Tallangatta and Walwa regions went up. “It was up there for a week and a half, and was mainly crewed by our guys, as well as a few from Yarrawonga Group and Tungamah.” The tanker is an addition to the fleet rather than a replacement vehicle, and Yarrawonga brigade now boasts two tankers and a pumper. Also housed at the same station is the new FCV for the Yarrawonga Group. “That one came at the start of December, so again around that busy Christmas period,” Cade said. “Although it’s a group vehicle the brigade probably gets the most use out of it. “There’s a lot more storage than our previous seven-year-old FCV and it’s much more user friendly, so we think it’s a really good piece of kit.” And as if the vehicles weren’t enough, the brigade also received good news that a thermal imaging camera was on the way. The hi-tech equipment will boost the brigade’s capacity to protect the community by allowing firefighters to safely detect heat sources using infrared technology. “We haven’t had the opportunity to have training with it yet due to the coronavirus restrictions.” With Yarrawonga being a cross-border town, Cade said the brigade had previously worked with fire brigades from Cobram and Mulwala in New South Wales that have thermal imaging cameras. “We’ve had a few house fires in Yarra, and they just come through and scan the property using a thermal imaging camera. This makes it that much quicker to extinguish, instead of going back home and getting called out again because the fire has flared up.” Yarrawonga Fire Brigade is hoping to receive the thermal imaging camera by the end of the year, and Cade would like to thank the local community for its support and donations.

STORY MARK BLACKMAN

Captain Cade Phillips (left), First Lieutenant Simon Crawford (middle) and CEO of Club Mulwala Allan Rowe