As summer heats up, Badger Creek’s CFA volunteers have two important safety tips for the district.
One of them involves residents measuring their driveways.
Brigade Captain Joshua Martin said if fire threatens this summer, residents will need not only a plan of action, but to enable the CFA to access their property.
“Modern CFA tankers are 3 metres wide and 3.1 metres high,” Captain Martin said.
“So, get the tape measure out and make sure we can easily get through your gate and past any obstructions.
“It’s a few minutes’ work that will make a big difference.
“CFA tankers are eight metres long, so having room for us to turn around is also important.”
Meanwhile, the Badger Creek Fire Brigade is raising funds for an electrical generator which will keep power flowing to the station if mains supply fails.
“Recent storms have caused power outages, and the brigade has begun working towards acquiring a 7.5kpa generator that will power our lights, two-way radios, computers, turnout system and the engine bay doors, even if the rest of the area is blacked out,” Captain Martin said.
“The fire station is our command centre for local incidents and provides support to volunteer crews in the field, so the generator will be important to local incident response.
“We can still operate without mains power now, but the generator will keep us at 100 per cent whether there’s mains power or not.”
The generator will cost about $6000.
The Healesville Rotary Club has started the ball rolling with a welcome donation of $1000.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) District 13 President Frank Whelan said Badger Creek Fire Brigade provides professional standards of emergency response all year round.
“Badger Creek has 32 CFA volunteers, including eight women who are frontline firefighters,” Mr Whelan said.
“It responds to 160 calls a year, many of them in support of the neighbouring Healesville and Hillcrest CFA brigades and contributes crews to strike teams that can go anywhere in the state.”
To ask about joining Badger Creek CFA as a volunteer – or to offer a donation to help buy an electrical generator for the fire station – call the station on 5962 4983 on Sunday morning from 9.30am until noon or on Thursday nights from 7.30pm until 9.30pm.
Alternatively call CFA Brigade Support Office Sue Harley on 8739 1300 or 0417 106 440.
For useful tips on preparing a property and a sensible plan of action, visit www.emergency.vic.gov.au or call 1800 226 226.
