70-year award for Pyramid Hill's John Carroll

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Member News image Chief Officer Jason Heffernan presents John Carroll with his award

On Friday 1 April Pyramid Hill volunteer John Carroll was presented with a 70-year service award and made a life member for his service to CFA.

John joined CFA (at aged 16 years old) because his brothers were members. He started Pyramid Hill Fire Brigade’s Junior firefighting championship competition back in 1980 and within four years that team was the Victorian champions.

When John joined 70 years ago, he didn’t expect to even receive the first service award for CFA volunteers which was a 12-year badge. Those expectations have now been well exceeded with the presentation of a 70-year service award and a life membership at a ceremony on Friday.

“Friday night was fantastic, it was amazing to receive this award. It was also great to see and catch up with many former fire brigade members from as far back as the 1980s,” John said.

“There is always someone in need in the community and I’m so proud to have helped them as a volunteer with CFA for seven decades.”

John spent his career working at the butter factory in Cohuna after the butter factory he previously worked at in Pyramid Hill sadly caught fire. He said the most challenging time he faced at CFA was a fire that destroyed Pyramid Hill’s bakery and post office in 2001.

“Back in those days we only had basic equipment to fight fires. There was no breathing apparatus or any of the gear they have today,” he said.

John is currently in charge of Pyramid Hill brigade’s fire equipment maintenance.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said it was an absolute honour to present John with these awards.

“CFA is lucky to have such outstanding members like John, who are willing to give so much back to their communities over many decades of service,” CO Heffernan said.

I’d like to thank and congratulate John for his 70 years of volunteering – Pyramid Hill brigade and the broader community owe John and many others like him an enormous debt of gratitude.”

Other members were also awarded on the night. Pyramid Hill volunteers Robert Moon and Tony Mullins received life memberships for their 40-year service and Robert Stone was awarded a life membership for his 60 years of service to CFA.