By Kath Gannaway
Ross Johnson has no doubt that the training CFA recruits sign up for when they join a brigade is not only critical for their wellbeing and safety, but makes for better brigades.
Twelve recruits representing brigades from Wandin and Gruyere through to Reefton graduated from the 16-week training module at the Warburton CFA station on Sunday 22 July.
“This is the module that allows them to turn out,” said Mr Johnson who as Group Training Officer for Yarra Valley Group delivers the training that covers safety and survival theory, equity and diversity, and combat fire modules including map reading and communications.
“This is probably the biggest training module they are ever going to do and because we’re putting these people into harm’s way, I make sure the teaching is well above the assessment profile,” he said.
“So much of what we do can be dangerous; If you go out to a road crash and hold up a stop sign, or put out an incinerator, everything we ask our volunteers to do has the potential to put them in harm’s way so we go that extra mile to make sure they understand that, and have a broader understanding of everything that’s involved.
The importance and value of the extensive training is not lost on the volunteers.
Lily Pagels, 18, from Hoddles Creek Fire Brigade, came up through junior brigade while Yellingbo CFA member, Marianne Thomson, 37 and a working mother of three primary school children, is a relatively new recruit.
“You’d be lost without the training,” said Marianne who joined when the family built a house in Yellingbo.
“I guess I’m a bit of a tomboy and I wanted to get in there and help; I wanted to be part of the community and learn new skills.
“I’ve learnt so many personal skills already, things you can use in your daily life apart from those to do with the brigade,” she said.
Lily joined Hoddles Creek when she was about 11. She said her dad was in the brigade and a family friend, Leonie Turner, is leader of the juniors.
Leadership development is just one of the benefits Lily said she has benefited from as a CFA volunteer and through the training on offer.
“I applied to go to New South Wales for championships when I was just finishing junior brigade and the leadership skills I developed there have carried on to school and helped me get into peer support and ministry programs as a leader,” Lily said.
While the training is serious business, Lily said being part of a brigade is also a lot of fun.
“I’ve made so many friends and done so many challenging activities that I thought were really awesome and now moving into the seniors I’m making a lot of new relationships and friends there too.”
Also graduating were Jason Luxford and Keren Borton from Hillcrest, Jarod Kerford from Hoddles Creek, Pete McTier from Wandin, Darren Fromm, Judd Zekas, Timm Battista and Jan McIlraith from Warburton, Eilish Plunkett from Wesburn and Emily Hardy from Yellingbo.
To find out more about what becoming a CFA volunteer involves, contact your local brigade.
