By Renee Wood
The Coldstream Fire Brigade has officially opened its new state of the art facility on Killara Road.
The $1.5 million dollar project has improved safety for volunteers, supports gender inclusivity and has injected new technologies into the station.
The site can now accommodate three trucks, has a large brigade meeting room, separate turn out rooms and change facilities for men and women plus much more.
Crews have been using the new facility since February and Captain Sean Bethell said in the same week they had their first call out from the new site to a house fire on Killara Road.
“We had a person knocking at the front door going there’s a house fire up the road… so just as he finished telling us where the pages went off,” Cpt Bethell said.
“So that was really the first real fire call that we tested the facility out, and it passed with flying colours and went really well.”
The former station was no longer fit for purpose as the brigade out grew it, which was seeing volunteers turn out while trucks were leaving and gear being damaged.
“Every time the trucks would turn out leaving the station, you would often have people still trying to get their gear on so there’s always that health and safety issue there,” he said.
“The truck starts… it’s got the exhaust out the side and if someone had their gear parked there for a period of time that gear would gradually turn black with the carbon particles sticking to it.”
Member David Timms has been with the brigade for 40 years and said it’s a major improvement for all volunteers.
“It sets us up no matter what happens – the station is big enough to take any truck that the CFA decided we need and it will just go forward from there,” Mr Timms said.
Although a new site, the history and friendships have been brought over with old memorabilia on the walls and the volunteer camaraderie continuing – something Mr Timms said he values the most.
“It’s another family – it’s the CFA family and it doesn’t matter where you go,” he said.
And for some, it truly is family – Cpt Bethell has been in the brigade for most of his life with his Father Robert and mother Yvonne both volunteers for 60 years.
All were in attendance on the day of the opening and it’s hoped the new site will attract more volunteers to sign up as there’s plenty of room to grow at the new site.
“It’s good watching new recruits come through that you spend a lot of time with,” Cpt Bethell said.
The State Government funded the project and the local community also helped through fundraisers.
Member for Eastern Victoria Harriett Shing attended the opening.
“I am thrilled to officially open the new fire station, which will have far-reaching benefits for not only its members, but local residents as well,” Ms Shing said.
Evelyn Member Bridget Vallence said it’s something the community’s been fighting for a decade.
“We’ve got this fabulous new station, this new asset here but it’s really the people, the volunteers, the local residents who give up their personal time to help the community in times of emergency,” Ms Vallence said.
